Asimov's Future History Volume 4 by Isaac Asimov Read Free Book Online Page A

would you rather have ordinary unbrained machinery with a single positronic robot to run them all. I warn you that the second alternative represents only a fiftieth or a hundredth the expense.”
    “But why the human form?”
    “Because the human form is the most successful generalized form in all nature. We are not a specialized animal, Mr. Baley, except for our nervous systems and a few odd items. If you want a design capable of doing a great many widely various things, all fairly well, you could do no better than to imitate the human form. Besides that, our entire technology is based on the human form. An automobile, for instance, has its controls so made as to be grasped and manipulated most easily by human hands and feet of a certain size and shape, attached to the body by limbs of a certain length and joints of a certain type. Even such simple objects as chairs and tables or knives and forks are designed to meet the requirements of human measurements and manner of working. It is easier to have robots imitate the human shape than to redesign radically the very philosophy of our tools.”
    “I see. That makes sense. Now isn’t it true, Doctor, that the roboticists of the Outer World manufacture robots that are much more humanoid than our Own?”
    “I believe that is true.”
    “Could they manufacture a robot so humanoid that it would pass for human under ordinary conditions?”
    Dr. Gerrigel lifted his eyebrows and considered that. “I think they could, Mr. Baley. It would be terribly expensive. I doubt that the return could be profitable.”
    “Do you suppose,” went on Baley, relentlessly, “that they could make a robot that would fool you into thinking it was human?”
    The roboticist tittered. “Oh, my dear Mr. Baley. I doubt that. Really. There’s more to a robot than just his appear–”
    Dr. Gerrigel froze in the middle of the word. Slowly, he turned to R. Daneel, and his pink face went very pale.
    “Oh, dear me,” he whispered. “Oh, dear me.”
    He reached out one hand and touched R. Daneel’s check gingerly. R. Daneel did not move away but gazed at the roboticist calmly.
    “Dear me,” said Dr. Gerrigel, with what was almost a sob in his voice, “you are a robot.”
    “It took you a long time to realize that,” said Baley, dryly.
    “I wasn’t expecting it. I never saw one like this. Outer World manufacture?”
    “Yes,” said Baley.
    “It’s obvious now. The way he holds himself. The manner of his speaking. It is not a perfect imitation, Mr. Baley.”
    “It’s pretty good though, isn’t it?”
    “Oh, it’s marvelous. I doubt that anyone could recognize the imposture at sight. I am very grateful to you for having me brought face to face with him. May I examine him?” The roboticist was on his feet, eager.
    Baley put out a hand. “Please, Doctor. In a moment. First, the matter of the murder, you know.”
    “Is that real, then?” Dr. Gerrigel was bitterly disappointed and showed it. “I thought perhaps that was just a device to keep my mind engaged and to see how long I could be fooled by–”
    “It is not a device, Dr. Gerrigel. Tell me, now, in constructing a robot as humanoid as this one, with the deliberate purpose of having it pass as human, is it not necessary to make its brain possess properties as close to that of the human brain as possible?”
    “Certainly.”
    “Very well. Could not such a humanoid brain hack the First Law? Perhaps it is left out accidentally. You say the theory is unknown. The very fact that it is unknown means that the constructors might set up a brain without the First Law. They would not know what to avoid.”
    Dr. Gerrigel was shaking his head vigorously. “No. No. Impossible.”
    “Are you sure? We can test the Second Law, of course.–Daneel, let me have your blaster.”
    Baley’s eyes never left the robot. His own hand, well to one side, gripped his own blaster tightly.
    R. Daneel said calmly, “Here it is, Elijah,” and held it out,