Я, Робот
The Evitable Conflict
ExceptfortheenclaveofEuropewithitsScandinavianandIcelandicregions,alltheArcticareawaswithintheNorthernRegion.
Roughly,itcouldbedividedintotwomajorareas.TotheleftonthemapwasallofNorthAmericaabovetheRioGrande.TotherightwasincludedallofwhathadoncebeentheSovietUnion.TogethertheseareasrepresentedthecenteredpoweroftheplanetinthefirstyearsoftheAtomicAge.BetweenthetwowasGreatBritain,atongueoftheRegionlickingatEurope.Upatthetopofthemap,distortedintoodd,hugeshapes,wereAustraliaandNewZealand,alsomemberprovincesoftheRegion.
NotallthechangesofthepastdecadeshadyetalteredthefactthattheNorthwastheeconomicruleroftheplanet.
TherewasalmostanostentatioussymbolismthereofinthefactthatoftheofficialRegionalmapsByerleyhadseen,Mackenzie’saloneshowedalltheEarth,asthoughtheNorthfearednocompetitionandneedednofavoritismtopointupitspre-eminence.
"Impossible,"saidMackenzie,dourly,overthewhiskey."Mr.Byerley,youhavehadnotrainingasarobottechnician,Ibelieve."
"No,Ihavenot."
"Hmp.Well,itis,inmyopinion,asadthingthatChing,NgomaandSzegeczowskahaven’teither.ThereistooprevalentanopinionamongthepeoplesofEarththataCo-ordinatorneedonlybeacapableorganizer,abroadgeneralizer,andanamiableperson.Thesedaysheshouldknowhisroboticsaswell,nooffenseintended."
"Nonetaken.Iagreewithyou."
