Я, Робот
Catch That Rabbit
Now–thereisn’taroboticistbackatUnitedStatesRobotsthatknowswhatapositronicfieldisorhowitworks.AndneitherdoI.Neitherdoyou."
"Thelast,"agreedDonovan,philosophically,"Iknow."
"Thenlookatourposition.Ifeverythingworks–fine!Ifanythinggoeswrong–we’reoutofourdepthandthereprobablyisn’tathingwecando,oranybodyelse.Butthejobbelongstousandnottoanyoneelsesowe’reonthespot,Mike."Heblazedawayforamomentinsilence.Then,"Allright,haveyougothimoutside?"
"Yes."
"Iseverythingnormalnow?"
"Wellhehasn’tgotreligiousmania,andheisn’trunningaroundinacirclespoutingGilbertandSullivan,soIsupposehe’snormal."
Donovanpassedoutthedoor,shakinghisheadviciously.
Powellreachedforthe"HandbookofRobotics"thatweigheddownonesideofhisdesktoanear-founderandopeneditreverently.Hehadoncejumpedoutofthewindowofaburninghousedressedonlyinshortsandthe"Handbook."Inapinch,hewouldhaveskippedtheshorts.
The"Handbook"wasproppedupbeforehim,whenRobotDV-5entered,withDonovankickingthedoorshutbehindhim.
Powellsaidsomberly,"Hi,Dave.Howdoyoufeel?"
"Fine,"saidtherobot."MindifIsitdown?"Hedraggedupthespeciallyreinforcedchairthatwashis,andfoldedgentlyintoit.
PowellregardedDave–laymenmightthinkofrobotsbytheirserialnumbers;roboticistsnever–withapproval.Itwasnotover-massivebyanymeans,inspiteofitsconstructionasthinking-unitofanintegratedseven-unitrobotteam.
