David Brin: Foundation’s Triumph

“And when the agents of chaos found us there, in the nebula-” Hari continued, “-Planch said it was because of some unknown informant aboard our ship, who told them where to find us. But I’m guessing it might have been you, Daneel, using the lure of the archives to draw all the Ktlina agents toward one place, eliminating the threat posed by this century’s worst chaos world.”

Daneel made an expressive shrug. “I cannot claim credit for that coup, though I admit it was helpful.” He then turned to look at Biron Maserd, the tall nobleman from Rhodia. “Well, my young friend? Were you the agent that Mors Planch spoke of?”

Hari wondered why Daneel, with the greatest mentalic powers in the galaxy, didn’t simply read Maserd’s mind.

Olivaw turned back to Hari.

“I do not invade his mind because we have an ancient agreement, a compact between Lord Maserd’s family and myself. They were relentless and incredibly clever in their attempts to fight the necessary amnesia.”

Maserd responded, “And we agreed to stop doing so, in exchange for being left alone. Our small galactic province has been run a little differently than the rest of the empire. We were free to fight chaos in our own way.”

Daneel agreed. “But it seems our ancient agreement has been broken.”

“No!”

“You already conceded that you’ve communicated with this group.” Daneel aimed a finger at the cyborgs, Cloudia and Zorma.

“We Maserds are permitted to discuss anything among ourselves,” Biron answered. He nodded toward the pale-haired cyborg. “Cloudia Duma-Hinriad is my great-great-grandmother. “

Daneel smiled. “Very clever, but the Zeroth Law won’t allow me to accept that attempt to evade our agreement. Not if it might imperil humanity’s long-term salvation.”

“And of course you are the one to determine what form that salvation shall take?” R. Gornon asked, in a voice that resonated, both desperate and sarcastic.

“That has been my burden ever since blessed Giskard and I discovered the Zeroth Law.”

“And look at what it has cost.” R. Gornon gestured toward the glowing radioactive ruins. “Your great Galactic Empire kept the peace and staved off chaos, by eliminating diversity! Humanity must shun whatever is alien or strange, whether it comes from within or from the outside.”

Daneel shook his head. “Now is not the time to resume our ancient argument-over your proposed Minus One Law. The transition boundary approaches. For Hari’s sake and for the sake of the Plan, I must insist that you lower this platform at once.”

“What is the harm in letting Seldon see the world five centuries from now?” asked Zorma. “His work in this period is done. You said so yourself. Why not let humans be involved in the decision, when your salvation is ready?”

Daneel glanced at the brightening glow within the sarcophagus. Already their reflections could be seen on an expanding mirrorlike bubble, approaching gradually but inexorably. He looked back at Zorma.

“Is that your chief concern? I am willing to make a vow, on the memory of Giskard, and by the Zeroth Law. When my solution is ready, humanity will be consulted. It will not be imposed on human beings without their sovereign decision.”

If this satisfied Zorma and Cloudia, R. Gornon still cried out.

“I know you and your tricks, Olivaw. You will stack the decks, somehow. I insist that Hari Seldon be allowed to go!” Daneel raised an eyebrow. “You insist?”

Apparently that word had some special meaning among robots. For at that moment, the world exploded around Hari in a sudden blur.

Beams of searing light shot forth from both of R. Gornon’s hands. Daneel Olivaw replied in kind. Nor were those the only combatants.

Abruptly, parts of the surrounding scaffolding detached themselves from the matrix of wooden planks, revealing themselves to be robots, camouflaged amid the latticework! These now leaped to support Daneel.

In response, searing rays were fired by Gornon’s supporters on the surrounding rubble piles. Horis Antic screamed, diving for cover. Gaal Dornick went pale and fainted. But no humans seemed to be involved in the melee-either as fighters or as victims!

Cutting lancets of force swept between Hari’s legs and under his arms, or lashed by his head, missing by centimeters…but nothing actually touched his flesh. It was meticulous combat, in which avoiding injury to human bystanders took utmost priority, and Hari’s biggest danger came from a rain of shattered and smoldering robot parts falling everywhere.

It didn’t last long. Surely, R. Gornon never expected to prevail. Yet, Hari’s first concern was for the one robot who remained standing when it was all over.

“You are wounded! Is it serious?” he asked his old friend and mentor.

Curls of smoke rose from several places along Daneel’s humaniform body, where clothes and fleshy outer coverings had burned away to reveal a gleaming surface-armor resistant to anything but sunlike force. To Hari it was a reminder of legends he had read in A Child’s Book of Knowledge, stories of gods and titans-immortal beings combating each other, beyond any power of human interference.

Daneel Olivaw stood amid the wreckage, gazing with apparently genuine sadness at the wastage of his kinfolk.

“I am well, old friend Hari.”

Daneel turned to glance at Zorma and Cloudia. “By your inaction, can I assume that my promise will satisfy you? For the next five centuries?”

The two “women” nodded as one. Zorma answered for them both.

“That’s not so long to wait. We hope you’ll keep us informed about your plans for human salvation, Daneel. Above all, we pray your Plan is a noble one for both of our long-suffering races.”

Hari noted the implied message.

In your devotion to human posterity, don’t leave out something for the robots.

But he knew his lifelong friend too well. The servant race would not get even a minor priority. Only humanity mattered to Daneel.

“And now it is time for us to leave this dangerous place,” Olivaw said, reaching for the lever that would start the platform’s descent.

Just then Wanda Seldon uttered a cry.

“Maserd! I just realized…he’s gone!”

They peered in all directions, some of them using greatly enhanced positronic senses, but the nobleman from Rhodia wasn’t present. Either he had clambered swiftly down the scaffolding during the fight, or else

Or else Daneel will have two resilient humans to deal with, in a few centuries, Hari thought, as the platform started moving slowly downward. Daneel had better not forget to have someone waiting here, because if those two ever became allies… .

There was no proof that Maserd had dived into the glowing ball, which now filled the entire volume of the sarcophagus, sending forth brilliant rays of light, whose colors Hari could not describe and could swear he had never seen before in his life.

Having watched omnipotent immortals battle it out, just moments before, Hari knew there was very little that even Mors Planch or Biron Maserd could accomplish if they were let loose in the galaxy’s future. He had a strong picture of what kinds of societies would be floundering, and sometimes flourishing, in that era-to-come. His Foundation would already dominate the opposite side of the galaxy, but the effects would hardly be visible here on the homeworld-long-forgotten Earth.

With a sigh, he wished the two men well…wherever and whenever they had gone.

The ground approached, tormented by ancient, barely remembered crimes. He glanced once more up at the glow emanating from the sarcophagus.

I admit I was sorely tempted. It would have been one hell of an adventure, especially if they made me young again.