Я, Робот
Little Lost Robot
SusanCalvinandPeterBogert,twoweeksaftertheirfirstmeetingwithMajor-generalKallnerhadtheirlast.WorkatHyperBasehadbeenresumed.Thetradingshipwithitssixty-twonormalNS-2’swasgonetowhereveritwasbound,withanofficiallyimposedstorytoexplainitstwoweeks’delay.ThegovernmentcruiserwasmakingreadytocarrythetworoboticistsbacktoEarth.
Kallnerwasonceagaina-gleamindressuniform.Hiswhiteglovesshoneasheshookhands.
Calvinsaid,"TheothermodifiedNestorsare,ofcourse,tobedestroyed."
"Theywillbe.We’llmakeshiftwithnormalrobots,or,ifnecessary,dowithout."
"Good."
"Buttellme-Youhaven’texplained-Howwasitdone?"
Shesmiledtightly,"Oh,that.IwouldhavetoldyouinadvanceifIhadbeenmorecertainofitsworking.Yousee,Nestor10hadasuperioritycomplexthatwasbecomingmoreradicalallthetime.Helikedtothinkthatheandotherrobotsknewmorethanhumanbeings.Itwasbecomingveryimportantforhimtothinkso.
"Weknewthat.Sowewarnedeveryrobotinadvancethatgammarayswouldkillthem,whichitwould,andwefurtherwarnedthemallthatgammarayswouldbebetweenthemandmyself.Sotheyallstayedwheretheywere,naturally.ByNestor10’sownlogicintheprevioustesttheyhadalldecidedthattherewasnopointintryingtosaveahumanbeingiftheyweresuretodiebeforetheycoulddoit."
"Well,yes,Dr.Calvin,Iunderstandthat.ButwhydidNestor10himselfleavehisseat?"
"AH!ThatwasalittlearrangementbetweenmyselfandyouryoungMr.Black
