Super pessimistic, even as it shows the brightly optimistic and rational explorers overcoming the dangers. Not super surprising or deep, but still pretty effective. ( )

After detecting atomic fission on a nearby planet, a group of explorers are shot down only to find all life on the world annihilated after a devastating war. They locate the massive gun that fired on them. It is programmed to protect a vault of treasures-relics of a failed civilization. Before they can take the treasure with them, however, the explorers need to do something about that gun. ( )

A short story named The Gun makes you think of a dangerous weapon. You won't be wrong. And I mean cataclysmically wrong. A space craft with a crew of four investigate an unknown planet they thought unpopulated. They encounter The Gun, and the treasure it is guarding. ( )