Я, Робот
The Evitable Conflict
Buthowmuchofthenoseonyourfacecanyousee,unlesssomeoneholdsamirroruptoyou?Inthetwentiethcentury,Susan,westartedanewcycleofwars–whatshallIcallthem?Ideologicalwars?Theemotionsofreligionappliedtoeconomicsystems,ratherthantoextra-naturalones?Againthewarswere’inevitable’andthistimetherewereatomicweapons,sothatmankindcouldnolongerlivethroughitstormenttotheinevitablewastingawayofinevitability.-Andpositronicrobotscame.
"Theycameintime,and,withitandalongsideit,interplanetarytravel.-SothatitnolongerseemedsoimportantwhethertheworldwasAdamSmithorKarlMarx.Neithermadeverymuchsenseunderthenewcircumstances.Bothhadtoadaptandtheyendedinalmostthesameplace."
"Adeusexmachina,then,inadoublesense,"saidDr.Calvin,dryly.
TheCo-ordinatorsmiledgently,"Ihaveneverheardyoupunbefore,Susan,butyouarecorrect.Andyettherewasanotherdanger.Theendingofeveryotherproblemhadmerelygivenbirthtoanother.Ournewworldwideroboteconomymaydevelopitsownproblems,andforthatreasonwehavetheMachines.TheEarth’seconomyisstable,andwillremainstable,becauseitisbaseduponthedecisionsofcalculatingmachinesthathavethegoodofhumanityatheartthroughtheoverwhelmingforceoftheFirstLawofRobotics."
