Я, Робот
Reason
"Say!"Donovanlaughedsuddenly."Whyargue?Let’sshowhim!Let’sbuildusanotherrobotrightbeforehiseyes.He’llhavetoeathiswordsthen."
AslowlywideningsmileappearedonPowell’sface.
Donovancontinued,"Andthinkofthatscrewball’sfacewhenheseesusdoit?"
Robotsare,ofcourse,manufacturedonEarth,buttheirshipmentthroughapaceismuchsimplerifitcanbedoneinpartstobeputtogetherattheirplaceofuse.Italso,incidentally,eliminatesthepossibilityofrobots,incompleteadjustment,wanderingoffwhilestillonEarthandthusbringingU.S.RobotsfacetofacewiththestrictlawsagainstrobotsonEarth.
Still,itplaceduponmensuchasPowellandDonovanthenecessityofsynthesisofcompleterobots,–agrievousandcomplicatedtask.
PowellandDonovanwereneversoawareofthatfactasuponthatparticulardaywhen,intheassemblyroom,theyundertooktocreatearobotunderthewatchfuleyesofQT1,ProphetoftheMaster.
Therobotinquestion,asimpleMCmodel,layuponthetable,almostcomplete.Threehours’workleftonlythebeadundone,andPowellpausedtoswabhisforeheadandglanceduncertainlyatCutie.
Theglancewasnotareassuringone.Forthreehours,Cutiehadsat,speechlessandmotionless,andhisface,inexpressiveatalltimes,wasnowabsolutelyunreadable.
Powellgroaned."Let’sgetthebraininnow,Mike!"
Donovanuncappedthetightlysealedcontainerandfromtheoilbathwithinhewithdrewasecondcube.Openingthisinturn,heremovedaglobefromitssponge-rubbercasing.
