Я, Робот

           Twohundredthousandifthereisasolution,pluscostsofconstructionofthemachineinvolved,plusquarterinterestinallprofitsderivedtherefrom.Theproblemconcernsthedevelopmentofaninterstellarengine-"

           Robertsonfrownedandhisleanfigurestiffened,"Despitethefactthattheyhaveathinkingmachineoftheirown.Right?"

           "Exactlywhatmakesthewholepropositionafoulball,chief.Levver,takeitfromthere."

           AbeLevverlookedupfromthefarendoftheconferencetableandsmoothedhisstubbledchinwithafaintraspingsound.Hesmiled:

           "It’sthisway,sir.Consolidatedhadathinkingmachine.It’sbroken."

           "What?"Robertsonhalfrose.

           "That’sright.BrokenlIt’skaput.Nobodyknowswhy,butIgotholdofsomeprettyinterestingguesses–like,forinstance,thattheyaskedittogivethemaninterstellarenginewiththesamesetofinformationtheycametouswith,andthatitcrackedtheirmachinewideopen.It’sscrap–justscrapnow."

           "Yougetit,chief?"Thegeneralmanagerwaswildlyjubilant."Yougetit?Thereisn’tanyindustrialresearchgroupofanysizethatisn’ttryingtodevelopaspace-warpengine,andConsolidatedandU.S.Robotshavetheleadonthefieldwithoursuperrobot-brains.Nowthatthey’vemanagedtofoultheirsup,wehaveaclearfield.That’sthenub,the...uh...motivation.Itwilltakethemsixyearsatleasttobuildanotherandthey’resunk,unlesstheycanbreakours,too,withthesameproblem."

           ThepresidentofU.S.Robotsbulgedhiseyes,"Why,thedirtyrats-"

           "Holdon,chief.