Я, Робот
Evidence
Withoutenteringitinyourbooks."
"Notthepositronicbrain,sir.Toomanyfactorsareinvolvedinthat,andthereisthetightestpossiblegovernmentsupervision."
"Yes,butrobotsarewornout,breakdown,gooutoforder–andaredismantled."
"Andthepositronicbrainsre-usedordestroyed."
"Really?"FrancisQuinnallowedhimselfatraceofsarcasm."Andifonewere,accidentally,ofcourse,notdestroyed–andtherehappenedtobeahumanoidstructurewaitingforabrain."
"Impossible!"
"Youwouldhavetoprovethattothegovernmentandthepublic,sowhynotproveittomenow."
"Butwhatcouldourpurposebe?"demandedLanninginexasperation."Whereisourmotivation?Credituswithaminimumofsense."
"Mydearsir,please.TheCorporationwouldbeonlytoogladtohavethevariousRegionspermittheuseofhumanoidpositronicrobotsoninhabitedworlds.Theprofitswouldbeenormous.Buttheprejudiceofthepublicagainstsuchapracticeistoogreat.Supposeyougetthemusedtosuchrobotsfirst–see,wehaveaskillfullawyer,agoodmayor,andheisarobot.Won’tyoubuyourrobotbutlers?"
"Thoroughlyfantastic.Analmosthumorousdescenttotheridiculous."
"Iimagineso.Whynotproveit?Orwouldyoustillrathertrytoproveittothepublic?"
Thelightintheofficewasdimming,butitwasnotyettoodimtoobscuretheflushoffrustrationonAlfredLanning’sface.Slowly,theroboticist’sfingertouchedaknobandthewallilluminatorsglowedtogentlelife.
"Well,then,"hegrowled,"letussee."
