He sighed. “I was easy to persuade. After all, the Second Foundation is an extension ofme. A form of immortality. A way I can keep poking and meddling after this physical frame has been eaten by worms and turned into the soil Horis admires so much. The Second Foundation might have been Yugo Amaryl’s idea-did you inspire him though? In any event, vanity alone was enough to make me agree to it.
“But then you started demanding even more, Daneel.
“Will mathematics suffice? You worried that my successors wouldn’t be strong enough. A society of secret guides will need something more potent than equations. A superhuman power, enabling them to sway kings, mayors, and scientists away from perturbing thoughts, diverting them back toward the tracks they had been assigned. And 10, no sooner did you make this suggestion, than such a tool appears!”
Hari gestured toward the horizon, where Old Chicago flickered with a steady glow. “Your gift to the Seldon Plan, Daneel-mentalics! We really had to do a major reformulation of the Plan whenthat came to light. Fortunately, the mutation only appeared where you wanted it to. Some of the psychics will help seed your great universal mind, while others breed with my Fifty mathists, creating a new race that is capable of both calculation and magic.”
There was silence atop the rubble mound. Finally, Daneel commented, “You see a lot up there, my old friend.”
Hari nodded.
“Oh yes, I see all the adjustments we had to make in the equations, in order to deal with this new aristocracy that will be inbreeding for the next several centuries, developing its power and influence, relying ever more on mentalic dominance, and less on mathematics. If they are left in charge, even with a tradition of duty and noblesse oblige, they will eventually become a ruling class. A rulingrace. One that will make every prior priesthood or royal family seem like amateurs.”
Hari glanced up at Daneel.
“But what choice have we? Eventually the Foundation will stop being distracted by momentary crises, by galactic competitors and the challenge of expansion. In time, the civilization we establish on Terminus will reach a new height of confidence…and face its inevitable collision with chaos. At that point, our predictions grow more approximate. The psychohistorical equations show the Foundation’s odds of success will have winnowed down to only seventy percent or so.”
“That is not good enough, Hari. Not nearly good enough.”
“So you insisted, Daneel. The Foundation will be as strong, dynamic, and empathic as any human civilization could possibly be. If any culture could ever be prepared to take on chaos, survive the solipsism plagues, and burst through to theother side, this will be the one. And yet, if it fails…”
“That’s the rub, Hari.”
“Indeed. We’re left with a one-in-four chance that humanity itself might be destroyed. I can see why you wanted something better, Daneel. You were compelled to do anything in your power that might boost the odds.
“First, you demanded a secret mentalic society, to help guide the First Foundation. But that only altered a few percentage points. Worse, it actually introduced new perturbations. Resentment by common folk against a psychic aristocracy, for instance. And danger from rogue mentalics.”
Hari lifted both hands. “Quite a choice isn’t it? Either a hell-bent battle with chaos or a permanent mutant ruling class. No wonder you finally decided there must be a third solution! No wonder you’ve worked so hard to develop Gaia, as a way to replace the Seldon Plan.”
When he responded, there was deep respect and compassion in Daneel’s voice.
“Your work still has great importance, Hari. Humanity must be kept engaged during the next few centuries.”
“Engaged? You mean distracted, don’t you? The people of my Foundation will think they are bold explorers, holding destiny in their hands, winning a better future by their own efforts, though aided by laws of history. Then, abruptly, you’ll bring this new thing upon them. Already approved by some fellow whoknows everything.”
“A man who is alwaysright,” Daneel corrected.
Hari waved a hand. “Whatever.”
Daneel sighed.
“I know you have reservations, Hari. But consider the long-range prospect. What if there are entities in other galaxies, similar to the meme-minds we encountered on Trantor? What if they are more powerful? Perhaps they have already assimilated all life-forms in their home galaxies. Their influence may even now be stretching this way, toward us. That outside force could be a terrible threat to humanity. Only if the human species is unified, powerful, and cohesive, a trueGalaxia superorganism-can we be assured of your survival.”
Hari blinked for a moment. “Isn’t that a far-fetched scenario? Or at least a long way off?”
“Perhaps. But dare I take that chance? I am compelled by the Zeroth Law-and by my promise to Elijah Baley, to protect you all, no matter what the pains! No matter what the cost.”
R. Daneel Olivaw took a step forward, motioning toward the heavens. “Besides, think of it, Hari! Every human soul in contact with every other one! All knowledge shared instantly. All misunderstandings erased. Every bird, animal, and insect incorporated into the vast, unified web. The ultimate of serenity and understanding that your ancient sages yearned for. And it can be achieved in just over half the time that you project for the Foundation’s final battle with chaos.”
“Yes, it has attractive features,” Hari conceded.
“And yet, my mind and heart keep ponderingTerminus, at the opposite side of the galaxy. A small world very much like this one…this poor, wounded Earth. Despite everything, Daneel, the oddswere in their favor. All the factors agreed. They would have had a good chance-”
“Seventy percent is not good enough.”
“So you won’t let them try?”
“Hari, even if they do break through to that mythicalother side, you don’t know what kind of society they will build afterward! You admit the socio-equations explode into singularities at that point. All right, the Foundationers may defeat chaos. They may achieve some great new wisdom, but then what? How about thenext crisis to come along? Psychohistory offers no insights. Both you and I are blind. We have no idea what would follow. No ability to plan or protect them.”
Hari nodded. “That uncertainty…that inability to predict…has been my lifelong terror. It’s what I always fought against, and the bond that united me to you, Daneel. Only now, as I approach my end, do I see a strange sort of beauty in it.
“Humanity has been like a child who was horribly traumatized, and thereafter stayed in the nursery, where it could be kept safe and warm. You may differ with the Calvinians over many things, Daneel. But you both prescribedamnesia to help ease our collective trauma-a dull forgetfulness that could have vanished anytime our protectors chose to pull back the blinds and open the door. But you never did.
“Treating us that way would have been a horrible crime, except for the excuse of chaos. And evenwith that excuse, isn’t there a limit? A point at which the child must be untethered, letting her take on new challenges? Facing the future on its own terms?”
Hari smiled. “We can only ask that our descendants be better than we are. We cannot demand that they be perfect. They’ll have to solve their problems, one at a time.”
Daneel stared for a while, then looked away.
“You may be able to take such an attitude, late in life, but my programming is less flexible. I cannot take risks with humanity’s survival.”
“I see that. But consider, Daneel. If Elijah Baley were here right now, don’t you thinkhe would be willing to take a chance?”