Я, Робот

           Ifthefieldwereatriflestronger,therobotwouldneverreachthetechnicianconcerned,sinceitspositronicbrainwouldcollapseundergammaradiations–andthenwewouldbeoutoneexpensiveandhard-to-replacerobot.

           "Wetriedarguingwiththem.Theirpointwasthatahumanbeinginagammafieldwasendangeringhislifeandthatitdidn’tmatterthathecouldremaintherehalfanhoursafely.Supposing,theywouldsay,heforgotandremainedanhour.Theycouldn’ttakechances.Wepointedoutthattheywereriskingtheirlivesonawildoff-chance.ButselfpreservationisonlytheThirdLawofRobotics–andtheFirstLawofhumansafetycamefirst.Wegavethemorders;weorderedthemstrictlyandharshlytoremainoutofgammafieldsatwhatevercost.ButobedienceisonlytheSecondLawofRobotics–andtheFirstLawofhumansafetycamefirst.Dr.Calvin,weeitherhadtodowithoutrobots,ordosomethingabouttheFirstLaw–andwemadeourchoice."

           "Ican’tbelieve,"saidDr.Calvin,"thatitwasfoundpossibletoremovetheFirstLaw."

           "Itwasn’tremoved,itwasmodified,"explainedKallner."PositronicbrainswereconstructedthatcontainedthepositiveaspectonlyoftheLaw,whichinthemreads:`Norobotmayharmahumanbeing.’Thatisall.Theyhavenocompulsiontopreventonecomingtoharmthroughanextraneousagencysuchasgammarays.Istatethemattercorrectly,Dr.Bogert?"

           "Quite,"assentedthemathematician.