Я, Робот
Little Lost Robot
Ifnecessarytoforceyoutothenecessarydestruction,I’llmakethiswholematterpublic.ItwasnotIthatapprovedthemanufactureofmodifiedrobots."
"Onewordfromyou,Dr.Calvin,"saidthegeneral,deliberately,"inviolationofsecuritymeasures,andyouwouldbecertainlyimprisonedinstantly."
Bogertfeltthemattertobegettingoutofhand.Hisvoicegrewsyrupy,"Well,now,we’rebeginningtoactlikechildren,allofus.Weneedonlyalittlemoretime.Surelywecanoutwitarobotwithoutresigning,orimprisoningpeople,ordestroyingtwomillions."
Thepsychologistturnedonhimwithquietfury,"Idon’twantanyunbalancedrobotsinexistence.WehaveoneNestorthat’sdefinitelyunbalanced,elevenmorethatarepotentiallyso,andsixty-twonormalrobotsthatarebeingsubjectedtoanunbalancedenvironment.Theonlyabsolutesafemethodiscompletedestruction."
Thesignal-burrbroughtallthreetoahalt,andtheangrytumultofgrowinglyunrestrainedemotionfroze.
"Comein,"growledKallner.
ItwasGeraldBlack,lookingperturbed.Hehadheardangryvoices.Hesaid,"IthoughtI’dcomemyself...didn’tliketoaskanyoneelse-"
"Whatisit?Don’torate-"
"ThelocksofCompartmentCinthetradingshiphavebeenplayedwith.Therearefreshscratchesonthem."
"CompartmentC?"explainedCalvinquickly."That’stheonethatholdstherobots,isn’tit?Whodidit?"
"Fromtheinside,"saidBlack,laconically.
"Thelockisn’toutoforder,isit?"
"No.It’sallright.
