Isaac Asimov - Robots and Empire

Daneel said, “But you know, friend Giskard, the fact that a danger to humanity now exists and that it will surely come to fruition if you become the property of Madam Vasilia. That, at least, is not an abstraction.”

Giskard said, “The danger to which you refer is not something known, but is merely inferred. We cannot build our actions in defiance of the Three Laws on that.”

Daneel paused, then said in a lower voice, “But you hope that your studies of human history will help you develop the Laws governing human behavior, that you will learn to predict and guide human history—or at lease make a beginning, so that someone someday will learn to predict and guide it. You even call the technique ‘psychohistory.’ In this, are you not dealing with the human tapestry? Are you not trying to work with humanity as a generalized whole, rather than with collections of individual human beings?”

“Yes, friend Daneel, but it is thus far no more than a hope and I cannot base my actions upon a mere hope, nor can I modify the Three Laws in accordance with it.”

To that, Daneel did not respond.

Vasilia said, “Well, robot, all your attempts have come to nothing and yet you stand on your feet. You are strangely stubborn and a robot such as yourself that can denounce the Three Laws and still remain functional is a clear danger to every and any individual human being. For that reason, I believe you should be dismantled without delay. The case is too dangerous to await the slow majesty of the law, especially since you are, after all, a robot and not the human being you attempt to resemble.”

Daneel said, “Surely, my lady, it is not fitting for you to reach such a decision on your own.”

“I have reached it nevertheless and if there are legal repercussions hereafter, I shall deal with them.”

“You will be depriving Lady Gladia of a second robot and one to which you make no claim.”

“She and Fastolfe, between them, have deprived me of my robot, Giskard, for more than twenty decades and I do not believe this ever distressed either of them for a moment it will not now distress me to deprive her. She has dozens of other robots and there are many here at the Institute who will faithfully see to her safety until she can return to her own.”

Daneel said, “Friend Giskard, if you will wake Lady Gladia, it may be that she may persuade Lady Vasilia—”

Vasilia, looking at Giskard, frowned and said sharply, “No, Giskard. Le the woman sleep.”

Giskard, who had stirred at Daneel’s words, subsided.

Vasilia snapped the finger and thumb of her right hand three times and the door at once opened and four robots filed, in. “You were right, Daneel. There are four robots. They will dismantle you and you are ordered not to resist. Thereafter Giskard and I will deal with all remaining matters.”

She looked over her shoulder at the entering robots. “Close the door behind you. Now, quickly and efficiently, dismantle this robot,” and she pointed at Daneel.

The robots looked at Daneel and for a few seconds did not move. Vasilia said impatiently, “I’ve told you he is a robot and you must disregard his human appearance. Daneel, tell them you are a robot.”

“I am a robot,” said Daneel, “and I will not resist.”

Vasilia stepped to one side and the four robots advanced. Daneel’s arms remained at his side. He turned to look at the sleeping Gladia one last time and then he faced the robots.

Vasilia smiled and said, “This should be interesting.”

The robots paused. Vasilia said, “Get on with it.”

They did not move and Vasilia turned to stare in amazement at Giskard. She did not complete the movement. Her muscles loosened and she crumpled.

Giskard caught her and seated her with her back against the wall.

He said in a muffled voice, “I need a few moments and then we will leave.”

Those moments passed. Vasilia’s eyes remained glazed and unfocused. Her robots remained motionless. Daneel had moved to Gladia in a single stride.

Giskard looked up and said to Vasilia’s robots, “Guard your lady. Allow no one to enter until she wakes. She will waken peacefully.”

Even as he spoke, Gladia stiffed and Daneel helped her to her feet. She said, wondering, “Who is this woman? Whose robots—How did she—”

Giskard spoke firmly, but there was a weariness in his voice. “Lady Gladia, later. I will explain. For now, we must hasten.”

And they left.

Amadiro bit his lower lip and his eyes flicked in the direction of Mandamus, who seemed lost in thought.

Amadiro said defensively, “She insisted on it. She told me that only she could handle this Giskard, that only she could exert a sufficiently strong influence over him and prevent him from using these mental powers of his.”

“You never said anything of this to me, Dr. Amadiro.”

“I wasn’t sure what there was to tell, young man. I wasn’t sure she was correct.”

“Are you sure now?”

“Completely. She remembers nothing of what went on—”

“So that we know nothing of what went on.”

Amadiro nodded. “Exactly. And she remembers nothing of what she had told me earlier.”

“And she’s not acting?”

“I saw to it that she had an emergency electroencephalogram. There have been distinct changes from the earlier records.”

“Is there a chance she will recover her memory with time?”

Amadiro shook his head bitterly. “Who can tell? But I doubt it.”

Mandamus’ eyes still downcast and full of thought, said, “Does it matter, then? We can take her account of Giskard as true and we know that he has the power to affect minds. That knowledge is crucial and it is now ours.—In fact, it is well that our roboticist colleague has failed. If Vasilia had gained control of that robot, how long do you suppose it would have been before you, too, would have been under her control—and I, as well,—assuming she would think I was worth controlling?”

Amadiro nodded. “I suppose she might have had something like that in mind. Right now, though, it’s hard to tell what she has in mind. She seems, superficially at least, undamaged except for the specific loss of memory—she apparently remembers everything else—but who knows how this will affect her deeper thought processes and her skill as a roboticist? That Giskard could do this to someone as skilled as she makes him an incredibly dangerous phenomenon.

“Does it occur to you, Dr. Amadiro, that the Settlers may be right in their distrust of robots?”

“It almost does, Mandamus.”

Mandamus rubbed his hands together. “I assume from your depressed attitude that this whole business was not uncovered before they had time to leave Aurora.”

“You assume correctly. That Settler captain has the Solarian woman and both of her robots on his ship and is heading toward Earth.”

“And where does that leave us now?”

Slowly Amadiro said, “By no means defeated, it seems to me. If we complete our project, we have won—Giskard or no Giskard. And we can complete it. Whatever Giskard can do with and to emotions, he can’t read thoughts. He might be able to tell when a wash of emotion crosses a human mind, or even distinguish one emotion from another, or change one to another, or induce sleep or amnesia—dull edged things like that. He cannot be sharp, however, cannot make out actual words or ideas.”

“Are you sure of that?”

“So said Vasilia.”

“She may not have known what she was talking about. She did not, after all, manage to control the robot, as she said she was sure of doing. That’s not much of a testimonial to her accuracy of understanding.”