A few of them would. After a long hiatus, Earth had once again begun settling alien worlds, but the fraction of its population involved was insignificant. The birth rate there would replace its emigrants before they could achieve orbit.
It was a sobering thought. Derec recalled Lucius’s words to Ariel at their first meeting, his assertion that no thinking being would want every human who might possibly exist to do so, but it seemed as if Earthers were doing their best to ensure just that. They seemed intent on turning their entire biosphere into a teeming mass of humanity.
An irrational fear washed over him, the fear that Earth society would somehow intrude upon his happiness even here, that its riot of bodies could somehow threaten even Robot City. Derec felt his heart begin beating faster, his breathing tighten, as he considered his child’s potential enemies.
Hormones! he thought wryly a second later. Paranoia was evidently a survival trait.
“To space with Earth,” he said, tickling Ariel playfully in the ribs. “We’re beyond all that.”
The sun had shifted position considerably when Derec awoke. He couldn’t tell whether it was from the simple passage of time, or if the building had moved beneath them while they slept. Probably both, he decided. He lay in the grass, Ariel still sleeping with her head on his shoulder, while he decided whether or not to get up.
A noise from beyond the edge of the building made the decision for him. Someone had screamed! Derec was up in an instant, leaping for the railing around the edge and peering down.
A hunter-seeker robot-a stealthy; black-surfaced special-function ‘bot with advanced detection circuitry-stood in the center of an intersection, pivoting slowly around in a circle. A rustle of motion in a doorway caught its attention and it stopped. It raised its right hand, pointing with the forefinger extended, and a bright red laser beam shot out from its finger toward the doorway. Another scream echoed off the buildings.
Derec looked up the street. Every intersection, for as far as he could see, had a hunter-seeker standing in it. Avery had ordered them to clean up the rodents-his way.
Stop!he sent to them. Cease hunting activity.
The hunter closest to him looked upward, and Derec felt a momentary urge to back away from the railing. Any robot-and Derec as well, for that matter-could tell what general direction a comlink signal was coming from, but a hunter-seeker could pinpoint the source-and shoot at it. But the robot couldn’t fire at him. It would see instantly who he was, and the First Law would prevent it. Derec stayed at the railing and sent, You are ordered to cease killing those creatures.
I am sorry, master Derec. I already have orders to kill them.
“What’s going on?” Ariel asked sleepily from his side. She leaned against the railing and looked down.
“Avery’s ordered the robots to kill all of Lucius’s rodents. I’m trying to get them to stop.” I order you not to kill them, he sent. You should respect life.
I respect human life. That is all.
Those creatures carry human genes.
That has been explained to me. That does not make them human.As the hunter spoke, another rodent made a dash for safety, but the hunter twitched its hand in a blur of motion, the beam shot out, and the rodent tumbled end over end in the street, screaming. The hunter fired again and the screaming stopped.
They certainly have human vocal apparatus, Derec thought.
Damn it, you ’ re upsetting me. Stop it!
The hunter robot paused at that, but evidently Avery had warned it to expect such a ploy. I regret that I cannot,it said. Your displeasure is not as important as your safety. These creatures could pose a safety hazard.
You don ’ t know that.
I have been ordered to consider them as such.The hunter turned its attention back to the street. It resumed its search, shooting again at another rodent. This time the rodent died silently, and Derec realized that the robot was attempting to limit his discomfort by making a clean kill.
Derec tried to think of a way to get around Avery’s programming, but no solution came to mind. Avery had made his orders first and stressed that they were to be followed no matter what Derec said; there was very little Derec could do to counter them now.
How fickle a robot’s behavior could be under the three laws! A robot gardener could lock up at the mere mention of a life-threatening dilemma involving humans, but the hunter-seekers could shoot rodents all day long. None of them cared about life in general. Not even the gardener truly cared about his charges except for their potential to please a human.
How could that be right? Even the cruelest human cared about something. Derec was willing to bet even Avery had a soft spot for kittens or puppies or something. How could he ever expect a society of robots to mimic a human society if they held no reverence for life?
“Come on,” Derec said, seething with righteous indignation. “Let’s go home.”
His anger had mellowed a bit by the time they reached their apartment, but it flared to life again the moment he saw Avery standing by the living room window, watching his hunter-seekers at work. He was about to start a shouting match, but Mandelbrot’s sudden exclamation switched the topic of discussion before he ever had a chance.
“Congratulations, Ariel!” said the robot the moment he saw them enter the apartment.
“Shh!” she told him, forefinger to her lips, but the damage had been done.
Avery turned away from the window. “Congratulations? Whatever for, Mandelbrot?”
His question was a stronger order to speak than Ariel’s whispered command to be quiet. The robot said, “Mistress Ariel is preg-”
“Shut up!”
Mandelbrot stiffened, the conflict of orders creating a momentary Second Law crisis.
“Preg,” Avery said into the silence. “Pregnant perhaps? Are you, my dear?” His voice was all honey, but neither she nor Derec was fooled. Avery had opposed their association from the start, was instrumental in separating them when they had first become lovers on Aurora, and had done everything he could to keep them from redeveloping an affection for one another when circumstances had forced them back into close company. He was less than happy at the news, and they knew it.
“Don’t strain yourself smiling,” Derec growled.
Avery shook his head. “You sound overjoyed. One would suppose you weren’t ready for it. Is that it? Did it take you by surprise?”
“None of your business,” Ariel said.
“Of course not. However, as a father myself, I do have a certain interest in the situation. You may be happy to know that it is reversible.”
Ariel shot him a dark look. “I’m aware of that.” She turned away, heading down the hallway toward her and Derec’s room.
“Good,” Avery said to her receding back. He turned back to the window. “I ordered Lucius’s laboratories destroyed,” he said nonchalantly.
“You what?”
“Really, you should have your hearing checked. That ’ s twice in two days. I said I ordered Lucius ’ s laboratories destroyed, and all the robots in them as well. You didn ’ t really think I ’ d let you turn my city into a zoo, now, did you?”