Я, Робот

           Well,ma’am,thatwouldn’tstopme.Whatismydestructioncomparedtothesafetyofamaster?But...butitoccurredtomethatifIdiedonmywaytohim,Iwouldn’tbeabletosavehimanyway.TheweightwouldcrushhimandthenIwouldbedeadfornopurposeandperhapssomedaysomeothermastermightcometoharmwhowouldn’thave,ifIhadonlystayedalive.Doyouunderstandme,ma’am?"

           "Youmeanthatitwasmerelyachoiceofthemandying,orboththemanandyourselfdying.Isthatright?"

           "Yes,ma’am.Itwasimpossibletosavethemaster.Hemightbeconsidereddead.Inthatcase,itisinconceivablethatIdestroymyselffornothing–withoutorders."

           Therobopsychologisttwiddledapencil.Shehadheardthesamestorywithinsignificantverbalvariationstwenty-seventimesbefore.Thiswasthecrucialquestionnow.

           "Boy,"shesaid,"yourthinkinghasitspoints,butitisnotthesortofthingIthoughtyoumightthink.Didyouthinkofthisyourself?"

           Therobothesitated."No."

           "Whothoughtofit,then?"

           "Weweretalkinglastnight,andoneofusgotthatideaanditsoundedreasonable."

           "Whichone?"

           Therobotthoughtdeeply."Idon’tknow.Justoneofus."

           Shesighed,"That’sall."

           NumberTwenty-ninewasnext.Thirty-fourafterthat.

           Major-generalKallner,too,wasangry.ForoneweekallofHyperBasehadstoppeddead,barringsomepaperworkonthesubsidiaryasteroidsofthegroup.Fornearlyoneweek,thetwotopexpertsinthefieldhadaggravatedthesituationwithuselesstests.