Я, Робот
Catch That Rabbit
Insulationbreaksdown,acondenserspillsover,aconnectionsparks,acoiloverheats.Andifyouworkblind,withthewholerobottochoosefrom,you’llneverfindthebadspot.IfyoutakeDaveapartandtesteverypointofhisbodymechanismonebyone,puttinghimtogethereachtime,andtryinghimout"
"Allright.Allright.Icanseethroughaporthole,too."
Theyfacedeachotherhopelessly,andthenPowellsaidcautiously,"Supposeweinterviewoneofthesubsidiaries."
NeitherPowellnorDonovanhadeverhadpreviousoccasiontotalktoa"finger."Itcouldtalk;itwasn’tquitetheperfectanalogytoahumanfinger.Infact,ithadafairlydevelopedbrain,butthatbrainwastunedprimarilytothereceptionofordersviapositronicfield,anditsreactiontoindependentstimuliwasratherfumbling.
NorwasPowellcertainastoitsname.ItsserialnumberwasDV-5-2,butthatwasnotveryuseful.
Hecompromised."Look,pal,"hesaid,"I’mgoingtoaskyoutodosomehardthinkingandthenyoucangobacktoyourboss."
The"finger"noddeditsheadstiffly,butdidnotexertitslimitedbrainpoweronspeech.
"Nowonfouroccasionsrecently,"Powellsaid,"yourbossdeviatedfrombrain-scheme.Doyourememberthoseoccasions?"
"Yes,sir."
Donovangrowledangrily,"Heremembers.Itellyouthereissomethingverysinister-"
"Oh,gobashyourskull.Ofcourse,the’finger’remembers.Thereisnothingwrongwithhim."
