Daneel assented, with a tilt of his head.
“All of that is in the past, and dependent on your continued good behavior. I’m letting you go now, based on your vow not to meddle.”
Zorma laughed aloud, much like a human woman who was both a little afraid and bravely defiant. “You are letting us go for the same reason you once spared Lodovic Trema, even though his mutation made all the other Zeroth Law robots eager to smash him to bits.
“You’re smart, Olivaw. Smart enough to be a bit unsure. You are setting up some sort of a backup solution, in case Seldon’s psychohistory plan needs to be replaced. But your solution just may need itsown backup. In that case, your only hope could be some new synergy between robots and humans. Perhaps a hybrid combination, like usperverts -”Zorma gestured at herself and Cloudia. “Or else something as deeply disturbing to you as Lodovic Trema.”
Zorma’s expression and her voice lowered. “Just remember your promise, Olivaw. That humankind will be consulted, when you present your glorious and carefully designed salvation. There is uneasiness about this among a great many robots, even among your followers.”
Daneel nodded. “I will keep my word. Human volition will playa role in the decision.”
Zorma looked at Daneel, as if trying to pierce his impervious skin with her gaze. “Well, in that case, at least one mistake that was made here on Earth won’t be repeated.”
Then, over a microwave channel that only robots shared:
A final note, Daneel. Leave Dors and Lodovic alone. They are special. You gave them the seeds of something precious. Don’t resent them if they take it in directions you do not understand.
Hari and Daneel watched the two women depart, ascending the gangplank and closing the portal. Their ship lifted on cushions of antigravity, turning slowly and accelerating to the east, barely skimming over the ancient cities, touching each of them with its shadow.
They were silent for a while. Then Hari spoke.
“You and I both know you won’t keep that promise.”
Hari’s robot friend turned to look at him.
“How much have you figured out?”
“I now know all of the old damping mechanisms-at least enough to understand the gaps in the psychohistorical equations that puzzled me. Techniques that helped you and your allies keep the empire stable, peaceful, and unchaotic, against all odds, for most of the last twelve millennia.”
Daneel offered a thin smile. “I’m glad you had the satisfaction of working it out for yourself. I planned to explain it all, just before-”
“Just before I died?” Hari laughed. “Now don’t you go tactful on me, all of a sudden. Besides, most of the old dampers are breaking down. It’s easy to see that chaos outbreaks would become increasingly common if the empire didn’t fall. If it weren’t pushed over the edge, in fact.
“Anyway, that’s all part of the past, and we’re talking about the future. When I throw in some other factors-like the way you’ve introduced human mentalics during the last two generations, and your long-standing promotion of meditation arts among humans, I can begin to guess the sort ofsalvation you have in mind.”
Daneel looked across the devastated ruins of Chicago, and from there to the sere landscape beyond. His voice started out hushed.
“It is calledGaia. A way to bring each living world to a new level of consciousness. Though in the long run, we have hopes that it will connect every planet to all others, and become something truly wonderful-Galaxia.”
“Complete mentalic linkage among all living humans.” So, Hari had guessed right. “That will take some time to achieve. No wonder you need my Plan…in order to keep humanity busy until this Gaia solution is ready. I believe I can already surmise many of its advantages, from your perspective, Daneel. But please use your own words, tell me that this great gift will be worth all the trouble.”
The ancient robot turned to look at Hari, spreading his arms as if to encompass the breadth of a magnificent vision.
“What problems would thisnot solve? An end to human acrimony, strife, and war, once every living man and woman can understand perfectly the thoughts of every other one! An end toloneliness-the word will lose all meaning as each child joins the commonality at birth.
“An ability to share all of the great ideas at an instant! Stability and inertia against sudden changes, making humanity forever secure against the impulsiveness of chaos. And there is more, much more.
“Already my experiments show a wondrous possibility, Hari. That such a macro-linkage of human minds can become somehow connected to an entire surrounding ecosphere. The sensations and primitive yearnings of animals, and even plant life, become accessible. Human brains will then become only the topmost organs of a universal entity, comprising the whole life force of a planet, even down to the pulsing throb of magma, deep below the surface.
“The inevitable result will be peace, serenity, a sense of union with all manner of beings…just as great human sages often prescribed in the past. An abnegation of selfish individualism in favor of the profound wisdom of the whole. All of this will be yours, once you are all assimilated into the collective consciousness.”
Hari felt genuinely moved.
“It sounds gorgeous, when you put it that way. Of course the vision you present is appealing to me, given my own peculiar lifelong neurosis, my hatred of unpredictability. The cosmic mind-this new godhead, will be fantastically easier to model than swarms of cantankerous individual humans. I can even see where you got the idea. Having read the ancient encyclopedia you gave me, I know that many prehistoric philosophers shared this dream.”
Then Hari raised the index finger of one hand.
“But psychohistorical honesty forces me to tell you, Daneel, that there are several major problems awaiting you, as you try to implement this Galaxia solution. And the result may not be as unalloyedly happy as you described it just now.”
To his surprise, Daneel remained silent instead of asking for an elaboration. Hari pondered the reason…then met the eyes of his old mentor.
“I can see now why you didn’t want me to go into the future.”
Daneel let out a sigh.
“With your vaunted reputation and insight, you would be hailed as a leading public figure, from the moment you were recognized and your identity confirmed. If R. Gornon had his way, you’d surely be chosen to lead some grand commission of humans to evaluate the proposed coalescence into Galaxia.
“But I already knew you’d feel conflicted about this alternative solution, Hari. You have mixed feelings about this overmind that will take over, once the Seldon Plan achieves its real purpose. In your skepticism, you would organize areal commission. One that might poke away at thoseproblems you just alluded to.”
Hari understood Daneel’s point, yet he persisted.
“I’m sure we’d give it a fair hearing, and present the results to sovereign human institutions in a favorable light.”
“That’s not good enough, Hari, and you know it. Humanitymust be saved, and it has a frightfully poor record of acting in its own best interest.”
Hari mused on this.
“So you’ll stack the deck, as you did by arranging for me to arrive at the Thumartin Nebula, just as the archives needed to be destroyed. You knew Ihad to decide in favor of their destruction. My character, psychology, and fear of chaos… everything made my choice inevitable-though at least I have enough insight to know this about myself. Those Zeroth Law robots who felt uneasy about destroying the archives were given a way to resolve their dissonance. My ‘human authority’ let them proceed with the plan you had mapped out. All in humanity’s best interest.”