Я, Робот

           Thegeneralinterruptedwithameasureofauthority."Iwouldliketoexplainthatbit.Ihadn’tbeenawarethatDr.Calvinwasunacquaintedwiththesituation.Ineedn’ttellyou,Dr.Calvin,thattherealwayshasbeenstrongoppositiontorobotsonthePlanet.TheonlydefensethegovernmenthashadagainsttheFundamentalistradicalsinthismatterwasthefactthatrobotsarealwaysbuiltwithanunbreakableFirstLaw–whichmakesitimpossibleforthemtoharmhumanbeingsunderanycircumstance.

           "Butwehadtohaverobotsofadifferentnature.SojustafewoftheNS-2model,theNestors,thatis,werepreparedwithamodifiedFirstLaw.Tokeepitquiet,allNS-2’saremanufacturedwithoutserialnumbers;modifiedmembersaredeliveredherealongwithagroupofnormalrobots;and,ofcourse,allourkindareunderthestrictestimpressionmentnevertotelloftheirmodificationtounauthorizedpersonnel."Heworeanembarrassedsmile,"Thishasallworkedoutagainstusnow."

           Calvinsaidgrimly,"Haveyouaskedeachonewhoitis,anyhow?Certainly,youareauthorized?"

           Thegeneralnodded,"Allsixty-threedenyhavingworkedhere–andoneislying."

           "Doestheoneyouwantshowtracesofwear?Theothers,Itakeit,arefactory-fresh."

           "Theoneinquestiononlyarrivedlastmonth.It,andthetwothathavejustarrived,weretobethelastweneeded.There’snoperceptiblewear."Heshookhisheadslowlyandhiseyeswerehauntedagain,"Dr.Calvin,wedon’tdareletthatshipleave.