Я, Робот
Little Lost Robot
Iftheexistenceofnon-FirstLawrobotsbecomesgeneralknowledge-"Thereseemednowayofavoidingunderstatementintheconclusion.
"Destroyallsixty-three,"saidtherobopsychologistcoldlyandflatly,"andmakeanendofit."
Bogertdrewbackacornerofhismouth."Youmeandestroythirtythousanddollarsperrobot.I’mafraidU.S.Robotswouldn’tlikethat.We’dbettermakeaneffortfirst,Susan,beforewedestroyanything."
"Inthatcase,"shesaid,sharply,"Ineedfacts.ExactlywhatadvantagedoesHyperBasederivefromthesemodifiedrobots?Whatfactormadethemdesirable,general?"
Kallnerruffledhisforeheadandstrokeditwithanupwardgestureofhishand."Wehadtroublewithourpreviousrobots.Ourmenworkwithhardradiationsagooddeal,yousee.It’sdangerous,ofcourse,butreasonableprecautionsaretaken.Therehavebeenonlytwoaccidentssincewebeganandneitherwasfatal.However,itwasimpossibletoexplainthattoanordinaryrobot.TheFirstLawstates-I’llquoteit-’Norobotmayharmahumanbeing,orthroughinactiotn,allowahumanbeingtocometoharm.’
"That’sprimary,Dr.Calvin.Whenitwasnecessaryforoneofourmentoexposehimselfforashortperiodtoamoderategammafield,onethatwouldhavenophysiologicaleffects,thenearestrobotwoulddashintodraghimout.Ifthefieldwereexceedinglyweak,itwouldsucceed,andworkcouldnotcontinuetillallrobotswereclearedout.
