Я, Робот

           Ifsuchaproblemiscombinedwithanextremelyurgentdemandthatitbeanswered,itisjustpossiblethatTheBrain,onlyarobotafterall,wouldbepresentedwithadilemma,whereitcouldneitheranswernorrefusetoanswer.SomethingofthesortmusthavehappenedtoConsolidated’smachine."

           Hepaused,butthegeneralmanagerurgedon,"Goahead,Dr.Tanning.Explainitthewayyouexplainedittome."

           LanningsethislipsandraisedhiseyebrowsinthedirectionofDr.SusanCalvinwholiftedhereyesfromherpreciselyfoldedhandsforthefirsttime.Hervoicewaslowandcolorless.

           "Thenatureofarobotreactiontoadilemmaisstartling,"shebegan."Robotpsychologyisfarfromperfect–asaspecialist,Icanassureyouofthatbutitcanbediscussedin

           qualitativeterms,becausewithallthecomplicationsintroducedintoarobot’spositronicbrain,itisbuiltbyhumansandisthereforebuiltaccordingtohumanvalues.

           "Nowahumancaughtinanimpossibilityoftenrespondsbyaretreatfromreality:byentryintoaworldofdelusion,orbytakingtodrink,goingoffintohysteria,orjumpingoffabridge.Itallcomestothesamething–arefusalorinabilitytofacethesituationsquarely.Andso,therobot.Adilemmaatitsmildestwilldisorderhalfitsrelays;andatitsworstitwillburnouteverypositronicbrainpathpastrepair."

           "Isee,"saidRobertson,whodidn’t."NowwhataboutthisinformationConsolidated’swishingonus?"

           "Itundoubtedlyinvolves,"saidDr.Calvin,"aproblemofaforbiddensort.