Я, Робот
Reason
"Andifyoudon’tbelieveus,"addedDonovan,"we’llgladlytakeyouapart!"
Therobotspreadhisstronghandsinadeprecatorygesture,"Iacceptnothingonauthority.Ahypothesismustbebackedbyreason,orelseitisworthless–anditgoesagainstallthedictatesoflogictosupposethatyoumademe."
PowelldroppedarestrainingarmuponDonovan’ssuddenlybunchedfist."Justwhydoyousaythat?"
Cutielaughed.Itwasaveryinhumanlaugh–themostmachine-likeutterancehehadyetgivenventto.Itwassharpandexplosive,asregularasametronomeandasuninflected.
"Lookatyou,"hesaidfinally."Isaythisinnospiritofcontempt,butlookatyou!Thematerialyouaremadeofissoftandflabby,lackingenduranceandstrength,dependingforenergyupontheinefficientoxidationoforganicmaterial–likethat."HepointedadisapprovingfingeratwhatremainedofDonovan’ssandwich."Periodicallyyoupassintoacomaandtheleastvariationintemperature,airpressure,humidity,orradiationintensityimpairsyourefficiency.Youaremakeshift.
"I,ontheotherhand,amafinishedproduct.Iabsorbelectricalenergydirectlyandutilizeitwithanalmostonehundredpercentefficiency.Iamcomposedofstrongmetal,amcontinuouslyconscious,andcanstandextremesofenvironmenteasily.Thesearefactswhich,withtheself-evidentpropositionthatnobeingcancreateanotherbeingsuperiortoitself,smashesyoursillyhypothesistonothing."
Donovan’smutteredcursesroseintointelligibilityashesprangtohisfeet,rustyeyebrowsdrawnlow."Allright,yousonofahunkofironore,ifwedidn’tmakeyou,whodid?"
