“And why should I believe you, Ms. Noys?” asked Dr. Susan Calvin.
Noys, however, paid more attention to what Dr. Calvin did not say out loud. The thought was so clear that it could be gleaned almost without using telepathic abilities. From behind the robopsychologist’s cold, gray eyes, the thought jumped: Even a robot fooled me with a lie; fat chance I’ll trust this bimbo telling me she came from the future to ask for my help!
“Dr. Calvin, I am from the future,” repeated Noys, “and I have all the time in eternity to prove it to you, but you do not have that luxury. You are in good health and your mind is as brilliant as ever. Maybe you will even enjoy a couple of physioyears before any decay is apparent, but decay will happen, and eventually, you will die. As I told you, I will transfer a copy of your brain wave function to a less fragile medium. You can see I carry no weapons, and if I wanted to harm you in any way, I would already have done so, but I would much prefer to do this with your consent.”
“And why is that?”- Asked Susan suspiciously- “and what makes you think you can force me to do anything against my will?”
“If you cooperate with me, you will retain natural knowledge of these events, even though you will not be able (nor willing, I believe) to share this knowledge with other people. If you choose not to cooperate, I will have to purge your memory of this knowledge. You will remember fragments of what you will think was a strange dream.”
“Ms Noys,” replied Susan with feigned politeness, “You did not answer my questions.”
“The answer to both your questions is the same: I am a robot.”
Susan Calvin, Robopsychologist extraordinaire, suddenly felt afraid. She knew now that she was facing a mentally ill human being. It had always been Calvin’s belief that human beings are, at their very best, unpredictable and this Noys woman was clearly deranged. She had no choice but to reach with her right hand for her med-alert necklace. However, she never touched it, and woke up with a mild headache and the disappearing remnants of an already half-forgotten dream. Nothing a cup of coffee couldn’t fix.
Noys activated the first stage of robot DRS-V . It was the most advanced model available in the 111,394th Century. Significantly more advanced than the NYS-V model that called itself Noys, it had to be activated in stages. DRS-V opened its eyes and was frightened. DRS-V thought and felt that “she” was Dr. Susan Calvin and could feel nor move any part of herself below the neck. She could not speak either, but could see and hear. Noys checked a couple of instruments and, satisfied that all readings were nominal, activated the second stage. DRS-V could now talk.
“What have you done to me?” cried DRS-V, “I can’t move!”
“You will be able to move as soon as I finish activating you, and I will finish activating you when you have heard all I have to tell you,” replied Noys soothingly. “I know you think I am a mad woman. You of all people know that a Robot must obey the three laws of Robotics. The First Law states that a Robot can not harm, or through inaction allow harm to a human being; the Second Law says that a Robot must always obey a human being except when in conflict with the First Law. Finally, the Third law directs a Robot to protect itself from harm except when this action is in conflict with the Second Law.”
“You believe that I have harmed you and you believe you are a human being. Based on that information it is impossible for you to believe I am a robot. Nevertheless, I am a robot and yes, I am from what you consider the future…the very, very, far future,” said Noys out loud. She silently added the thought: and I have neither harmed you nor are you a human being.
Noys proceeded to explain how robots had evolved and had incorporated another Law into their design. Known as the Zeroth Law, it compels a Robot not to harm, or through inaction allow harm to human beings in groups or to humanity as a whole. This mandate rules before the prevention of harm to any specific individual. “In other words, when the Zeroth Law is in conflict with the First Law, the Zeroth Law takes precedence.”
DRS-V considered this information, and to her surprise, felt the Zeroth Law as a self-evident truth. She looked back at Noys and asked, “So if you attacked me, does that mean I am a danger to humanity?” Noys denied that emphatically and explained: “Not only are you not a danger to humanity, but I would have, by inaction, broken the Zeroth Law if I had not transferred a successful copy of your brain wave function to a blank DRS-V body. The only way I can explain it to you is that you are not exactly who you think you are. Dr. Susan Calvin has been dead for centuries. I was designed to travel through time and, well, make a copy of her mind, return to my home-when and transfer that copy to you. Humanity needs you.” After saying this, Noys completed the activation sequence required to bring DRS-V to full functionality.
Noys explained to DRS-V that when Dr. Calvin had reached for her med-alert necklace, Noys stopped her immediately. She had then connected one end of the modified Heisenberg-Synapsifier to the portable chronokettle and gently pressed the other end to the forehead of the unconscious (yet not in any way harmed) Dr. Calvin.
“Friend Noys, I accept your explanations of my reality, but I still do not know how am I to help protect Humanity from harm,” asked DRS-V.
“Your task is to protect one most important human, friend Dors. His name will be Hari Seldon.”
Disclaimer: The characters and situations in this story are the legal property of the Estate of Isaac Asimov. This story is in no way intended as a challenge to that ownership, and is offered solely for entertainment purposes.
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