Я, Робот

           Andthen,surprisinglyenough,Cutiehummedabstractedly.Therewasnotunetoit,butitpossessedacurioustwangingqualityasofpluckedstrings.Itceasedassuddenlyasithadbegun,"ButwheredoIcomein,Powell?Youhaven’texplainedmyexistence."

           "Therestissimple.Whenthesestationswerefirstestablishedtofeedsolarenergytotheplanets,theywererunbyhumans.However,theheat,thehardsolarradiations,andtheelectronstormsmadethepostadifficultone.Robotsweredevelopedtoreplacehumanlaborandnowonlytwohumanexecutivesarerequiredforeachstation.Wearetryingtoreplaceeventhose,andthat’swhereyoucomein.You’rethehighesttypeofroboteverdevelopedandifyoushowtheabilitytorunthisstationindependently,nohumanneedevercomehereagainexcepttobringpartsforrepairs."

           Hishandwentupandthemetalvisi-lidsnappedbackintoplace.Powellreturnedtothetableandpolishedanappleuponhissleevebeforebitingintoit.

           Theredglowoftherobot’seyesheldhim."Doyouexpectme,"saidCutieslowly,"tobelieveanysuchcomplicated,implausiblehypothesisasyouhavejustoutlined?Whatdoyoutakemefor?"

           Powellsputteredapplefragmentsontothetableandturnedred."Whydamnyou,itwasn’tahypothesis.Thosewerefacts"

           Cutiesoundedgrim,"Globesofenergymillionsofmilesacross!Worldswiththreebillionhumansonthem!Infiniteemptiness!Sorry,Powell,butIdon’tbelieveit.I’llpuzzlethisthingoutformyself.Good-by."

           Heturnedandstalkedoutoftheroom.HebrushedpastMichaelDonovanonthethresholdwithagravenodandpasseddownthecorridor,oblivioustotheastoundedstarethatfollowedhim.