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?”
“A balanced ecosystem is not a zoo.”
“Wrong. A zoo is not a balanced ecosystem, granted, but the converse is not necessarily true. To me, any ecosystem in this city-other than the minimum necessary to sustain the farm-would be a zoo, and I acted to prevent it.”
“Youacted. What about me? What about-”
“Alarm. Alarm. Alarm,” the living room corn console interrupted. “Experimental robots have awakened.”
“Ah, good. Keep them under restraint,” Avery commanded.
“Restraints ineffective. The robots have changed shape and slipped through them. They are now leaving the laboratory.”
“Where are they headed?”
“Destination uncertain. Wait. They have entered transport booths. Destination…spaceport.”
Chapter 4. The Wild Goose Chase
“The spaceport! They’re trying to escape!”
“A likely assumption,” Avery said, even as Derec sent, Adam, Eve, Lucius, this is Derec. Stop.
There was a burst of static-Derec recognized it now as high-speed data transfer-then the response, Why have you ordered this? We do not wish to stop.
I don’t care. Come back to the apartment.
Acknowledged. Please explain why.
Beside him, Avery spoke to the corn console. “They are to return to the laboratory at once. I order it.”
Ignoring him, and the robots’ request, Derec asked, Why are you going to the spaceport?
We are no longer going there, since you ordered us not to.
Whywere you going there? he asked with exasperation.
We intended to leave for Ceremya, the planet upon which Eve awakened. We have unfinished business there.
“I am unable to comply with your order,” the central computer told Avery through the com console. “Derec’s order supersedes.”
“What order? What’s going on?” Avery noticed Derec’s distracted expression. “You’re talking with them? This is your idea, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“You’re helping them escape!”
“I am not!”
“You expect me to believe that? You’ve wanted to let them go all along, and now as soon as I tell you I’ve stopped your other little project, you bust them loose. Well, it won’t work. I’ll have them back inside half an hour, and this time I’ll take all three of them apart with a rusty knife! Central, direct the hunters to stop what they’re doing and capture the runaway robots. They may shoot to destroy, if necessary, but I want the pieces.”
“Cancel that,” Derec said.
“I am sorry; now Dr. Avery’s order supersedes,” the central computer responded.
“Cancel it!” Derec commanded, but he was staring at Avery, not the console.
“I regret-”
“Masters, please calm down,” Mandelbrot interrupted, but Derec ignored him. Avery’s order involves a Third Law violation, he sent to the computer. My order does not. My order should take precedence.
How does Avery’s order involve a Third Law violation?the computer asked.
The question brought Derec up short. The Third Law stated that a robot had to protect its own existence; it said nothing about another robot’s existence. All right, he sent, it’s not a direct violation, but it does violate the spirit of the law. Since I’ve ordered them to return anyway, following Avery’s order would cause three robots to be needlessly destroyed. That’s obviously not the best solution to the situation at hand.
The computer didn’t respond immediately. That almost certainly meant it was considering Derec’s argument, but wasn’t yet convinced. On sudden inspiration, Derec added, The first part of Avery’ s order can stand. Let the hunters stop what they’re doing. The conflict of potentials in the computer’s robot brain would be even less that way, possibly enough so to tip the balance toward Derec’s order.
“Acknowledged,” the computer finally replied, using the com console.
“What did you do?” Avery demanded. “Canceled your stupid order,” Derec replied. “It wasn’t necessary. I’ve already stopped them, and they’re on their way here.”