Я, Робот
Little Lost Robot
Thegeneralsaid,"Howdoesitlook?Whatisityou’retryingtosee?"
Bogertreplied,"Adifferencewhichmayturnouttobealittletoosubtleforourpurposes,I’mafraid.Forsixty-twoofthoserobotsthenecessityofjumpingtowardtheapparentlythreatenedhumanwaswhatwecall,inrobotics,aforcedreaction.Yousee,evenwhentherobotsknewthatthehumaninquestionwouldnotcometoharm–andafterthethirdorfourthtimetheymusthaveknownit–theycouldnotpreventreactingastheydid.FirstLawrequiresit"
"Well?"
"Butthesixty-thirdrobot,themodifiedNestor,hadnosuchcomplusion.Hewasunderfreeaction.Ifhehadwished,hecouldhaveremainedinhisseat.Unfortunately,"saidhisvoicewasmildlyregretful,"hedidn’tsowish."
"Whydoyousuppose?"
Bogertshrugged,"IsupposeDr.Calvinwilltelluswhenshegetshere.Probablywithahorriblypessimisticinterpretation,too.Sheissometimesabitannoying."
"She’squalified,isn’tshe?"demandedthegeneralwithasuddenfrownofuneasiness.
"Yes."Bogertseemedamused."She’squalifiedallright.Sheunderstandsrobotslikeasister–comesfromhatinghumanbeingssomuch,Ithink.It’sjustthat,psychologistornot,she’sanextremeneurotic.Hasparanoidtendencies.Don’ttakehertooseriously."
Hespreadthelongrowofbroken-linegraphsoutinfrontofhim."Yousee,general,inthecaseofeachrobotthetimeintervalfrommomentofdroptothecompletionofafive-footmovementtendstodecreaseasthetestsarerepeated.
