Я, Робот
Escape!
ItwasafullstaffmeetingofthebrainsofU.S.Robotamp;MechanicalMenCorp.
Slowlyandclimactically,PowellandDonovanfinishedagraphicandresoundingstory.
SusanCalvinbrokethesilencethatfollowed.Inthefewdaysthathadelapsedshebadrecoveredhericy,somewhatacid,calm–butstillatraceofembarrassmentbrokethrough.
"Strictlyspeaking,"shesaid,"thiswasmyfault–allofit.WhenwefirstpresentedthisproblemtoTheBrain,asIhopesomeofyouremember,Iwenttogreatlengthstoimpress
uponittheimportanceofrejectinganyitemofinformationcapableofcreatingadilemma.IndoingsoIsaidsomethinglike`Don’tgetexcitedaboutthedeathofhumans.Wedon’t
minditatall.Justgivethesheetbackandforgetit.’"
"Hm-m-m,"saidLanning."Whatfollows?"
"Theobvious.Whenthatitementereditscalculationswhichyieldedtheequationcontrollingthelengthofminimumintervalfortheinterstellarjump–itmeantdeathforhumans.That’swhereConsolidated’smachinebrokedowncompletely.ButIhaddepressedtheimportanceofdeathtoTheBrain–notentirely,fortheFirstLawcanneverbebroken–butjustsufficientlysothatTheBraincouldtakeasecondlookattheequation.Sufficientlytogiveittimetorealizethataftertheintervalwaspassedthrough,themenwouldreturntolife–justasthematterandenergyoftheshipitselfwouldreturntobeing.Thisso-called`death,’inotherwords,wasastrictlytemporaryphenomenon.Yousee?"
Shelookedabouther.Theywerealllistening.
