Isaac Asimov's Robots in Time 2 - Marauder

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Marauder - Isaac Asimov's Robots In Time - William F Wu

ISAAC ASIMOV’S

ROBOTS

IN TIME

WILLIAM F. WU

THE LAWS OF ROBOTICS

A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being

to come to harm.

A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such

orders would conflict with the First Law.

A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not

conflict with the First or Second Law.

ISAAC ASIMOV’S

ROBOTS

IN TIME

MARAUDER

WILLIAM F. WU

Databank by Matt Elson

This is dedicated to

William Q. Wu

My father, who bought me a red plastic pirate ship full of toy buccaneers for

a dollar at the Menora Medical Clinic gift shop when I was little.

Special thanks in the writing of this novel are due to Michael D. Toman, Ricia

Mainhardt, John Betancourt, and Byron Preiss.

R. Hunter sat in the chair of Mojave Center Governor, in the Governor robot’s

office, considering his next move. The office was located in the underground

desert city called Mojave Center. Hunter was the new, specially designed

humaniform robot who had recently been finished and programmed according to

the specifications of the Governor Robot Oversight Committee.

The scientists on the Oversight Committee had created Hunter to find and

return Mojave Center Governor. One of six experimental Governor robots

designed to run complete, self-contained cities like Mojave Center, Mojave

Center Governor was missing. In his absence, the city computer and individual

positronic robots had taken over his responsibilities.

The other five experimental Governor robots had malfunctioned at approximately

the same time, suggesting a basic design flaw. Since Mojave Center Governor

was the only exception, the committee members wanted to study him as part of

their investigation of the problem. To avoid being taken apart, MC Governor

had fled.

Each of the Governor robots could divide at will into six component humaniform

robots. One of the component robots who comprised MC Governor now stood

motionless, shut down, in one corner of the office. Hunter and his team of

three humans had brought him back from the distant past. The other five had

also chosen to hide in earlier times.

For the last several minutes, Hunter had been monitoring the news through his

internal receiver.

“A nuclear explosion on the southern coast of Jamaica yesterday continues to

pile up casualties,” said the announcer. “Fatalities are estimated in the

hundreds of thousands, and within the next few hours, tidal waves will strike

the coasts of other islands throughout the Caribbean. Over the coming week,

these tidal waves are expected to strike heavily populated areas in Haiti,

Puerto Rico, many other islands, and the coasts of Central and South America,

causing incalculable destruction. Little time remains for emergency measures

to prevent even more flooding and the suffering that will follow....”

Hunter shut off the reception. The extent of the disaster was clear. He had a

lot of work ahead to prevent that explosion.

First Hunter had to brief the committee on his progress through a conference

call that was linked to him through the Mojave Center city computer.

“Good day,” said Hunter, as the four familiar human faces of the Governor

Robot Oversight Committee appeared on his internal video screen.

The committee members greeted him with eager anticipation.

“You have good news, I hope.” Dr. Redfield, a tall, slender blonde, spoke

first. “What have you learned? Have you located MC Governor already?”

“Part of him,” said Hunter, responding with precise accuracy.

“Part of him,” Professor Post repeated thoughtfully. He stroked his pointed,

black beard. “I take this to mean, then, that MC Governor divided into his

component robots before your team could apprehend him.”

“Yes, that is correct,” said Hunter. “However, we have apprehended MC 1, the

first gestalt robot, and returned him safely here.”

“That was fast,” said Dr. Chin, surprised. She was the short, pretty Chinese

American with long, black hair. “Where did you find MC 1?”

Hunter hesitated, at least by his fast robotic standards. He and his team of

human colleagues had followed MC 1 back in time to the Late Cretaceous Period

of prehistory using a modified device in Mojave Center. They had found MC 1 in

a forest full of dinosaurs.

The reality of time travel was a revolutionary discovery; Hunter did not want

to mention it casually, without considering the long-term effects such a

device might have on humans. The other members of the team had agreed to keep

the secret until he chose to reveal it. Any significant action in the past

might change human history in the present, creating unimaginable harm to

people. The First Law of the Three Laws of Robotics that governed all robots’

behavior said, “A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction,

allow a human being to come to harm.”

For the present, Hunter decided not to reveal the existence of the time travel

device.

“We found MC 1 in Alberta, Canada,” Hunter said simply. His statement was

true; the event just happened to have occurred many millions of years in the

past.

“Shouldn’t you be looking for the others there, too?” Dr. Chin asked.

“No,” said Hunter. “Our information is not complete, but the other component

robots appear to have separated.”

“I don’t understand something,” said Dr. Khanna, in his Hindi accent. “You

captured MC 1 very quickly, considering that he was in Alberta and you were

assigned to the task only yesterday. Now you have returned to Mojave Center

already. How did you manage to work so efficiently?”

“I have a very capable team,” said Hunter cautiously. They had returned to the

present only a short time after they had left, though they had actually spent

several long, difficult days in the past trying to capture MC 1. So to anyone

in the present, they had not been gone from Mojave Center very long at all.

“However, Chad Mora has completed his work for me. I will need a replacement

for him, this time a specialist in the history of the Caribbean.”

“Please give us a report on your first mission,” said Dr. Khanna.

“I would prefer to give you a complete report on concluding my assignment,”

said Hunter.

“I think if we are expected to continue hiring assistants for you, we can

require a report at this stage,” said Dr. Khanna, raising one eyebrow.

“I remind you that I am not a human seeking to keep a job,” said Hunter. “I

can work most efficiently with a team of human experts. You may decide how

much efficiency you are willing to allow me.”

“All right, hold it,” said Dr. Chin. “I think we can wait for a complete

report. The important thing is to get MC Governor back in one piece.”

Dr. Khanna shrugged, frowning.

“How is the rest of your team?” Dr. Redfield asked. “Everyone worked out, I

assume.”

“Yes,” said Hunter. “The roboticist, Jane Maynard, is definitely a help. Steve

Chang, our general assistant, has a range of pragmatic experience that I and

the more highly educated specialists simply lack. No amount of library data

accessible to me can substitute for their combined contributions. They are

still here in Mojave Center and will continue working with me.”

“Even so,” said Dr. Khanna. “I don’t understand exactly how you are conducting

your search.”

“I don’t think it matters,” said Professor Post. “Since MC Governor has

divided into his components, the assignment we gave Hunter is now six times as

difficult. The fact that he succeeded so quickly with the first part of it

convinces me that his judgment is sound.”

“I agree,” said Dr. Redfield. “I can wait for your report too.”

“So can I,” said Professor Post.

“Very well,” said Dr. Khanna. Hunter was relieved. If they had given him

direct orders, he would have had no choice but to obey them. The Second Law of

Robotics was, “ A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except

where such orders would conflict with the First Law.” He also decided not to

report to the committee that Dr. Wayne Nystrom had appeared on the scene,

trying to get control of MC 1 before Hunter could. If the committee members

knew more, they might change their minds and try to participate more directly

after all.

“Tell you what,” said Dr. Redfield. “We will authorize you to make direct

contact with the new assistant you need to hire, instead of giving us the list

as you did last time. Have this individual contact us for financial

arrangements. Is this acceptable?”

“Yes,” said Hunter. “Thank you. Is there anything else?”

“Can you give us an estimated time of completion?” Dr. Khanna asked.

“No,” said Hunter.

After completing the call, Hunter paused to consider what he had done. That

final answer to the Committee was not entirely true. If the time travel in all

the future missions turned out as well as it had in the first mission, he

could estimate completion in five days. The team could accomplish that by

returning from each mission the same day they left, no matter how long the

missions took in the past. However, a five-day estimate might further trigger

Dr. Khanna’s curiosity.

Furthermore, Hunter was not sure how to give them a suitable final report

without revealing the use of time travel. At the moment, in his own mind, he

was just barely able to justify not giving the committee an estimated time of

completion. He had decided that if Dr. Khanna placed obstacles in his way, it

would interfere with his ability to prevent harm to humans as a result of

potential changes the robots might bring about in the course of history. That

interpretation of the First Law could be debated, but it had allowed him to

avoid giving the estimate.

Hunter had the city computer use its access to employment agencies and lists

of scholars to find a historian. Most of them, of course, were not technically

available; the best ones were employed in schools or research centers, or

pursuing independent projects of their own. However, time travel altered the

possibilities a great deal.

Hunter now realized that he would in all likelihood bring his team back to the

present only a few moments after they had left, just as he had last time. That

meant anyone who was willing and able to travel to Mojave Center and back home

the same day would have enough time for the job. The fee was considerable,

especially for a task that would not take any time from their other

commitments. Some danger would exist, of course, but with Hunter leading the

team, the First Law would require him to give as much protection as a very

large, powerful, state of the art robot could provide.

The immediate problem was persuading anyone of this without revealing the

secret of time travel prematurely.

As soon as he had a short list of candidates, he began calling them. Within an

hour, he hired a historian named Rita Chavez, who specialized in the history

of the Caribbean during the period that Hunter’s team would visit, the year

1668. She arranged to fly immediately from her home in Miami to the landing

facility on the ground above Mojave Center.

Hunter had remained vague, however, about the details of the job. Instead, he

had told her that she could still cancel her commitment after she had heard

the details in person. The argument that she would receive a substantial fee

without missing much more than her travel time to and from Mojave Center had

clearly made an impression on her.

Hunter checked the time. Jane and Steve had been in need of a complete dinner

and a good night’s sleep after their trip back to the Late Cretaceous Period.

He estimated that they were still asleep in their hotel rooms. By the time

they woke up, Rita would probably have arrived.

As a robot, he had no need of rest as such; solar converters blended into his

skin energized him when he was exposed to sunlight. Inside, of course, he

could simply plug into the city’s power grid if necessary. While he waited, he

decided to gather new data and review the situation.

“City computer,” said Hunter, through his radio link. “Please locate and

present all data relevant to Jamaica in 1668. I will review it and copy

selected portions.”

“Acknowledged,” said the city computer.

Hunter knew that this kind of quick research could not replace the advanced

expertise Rita would bring. Still, he wanted to know as much as he could. When

the information was available, he transferred it to his own memory.

The ongoing challenge in Hunter’s mission, of course, was that Mojave Center’s

component robots were motivated by the Third Law of Robotics, “A robot must

protect his own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with

the First or Second Laws.” The component robots were afraid that when the

committee had reassembled them into Mojave Center Governor, the Governor robot

would be permanently dismantled and destroyed. They were physically small in

stature, but they had their robotic intelligence and humaniform shapes to help

them hide among humans.

Shortly before Rita’s VTOL jet was due to arrive, Hunter received a call

through his internal link.

“R. Hunter. This is the city computer calling.”

“Acknowledged,” said Hunter.

“I have a conference call from Steve and Jane for you.”

“Patch them through.”

“Hey, Hunter. Where are you? Still in Mojave Center somewhere?” Steve asked

cheerfully.

“Morning, Hunter,” said Jane.

“Greetings,” said Hunter. “I am waiting for the new member of our team. She

should arrive soon and I want to introduce you immediately.”

“You have completed your sleep courses in English and Spanish of the 1600s?”

“Si,” said Steve.

“I’m hungry,” said Jane. “Let’s meet in a restaurant. Bring her down.”

“Where shall we meet?”

“Debbie’s Diner. Jane and I already decided. It’s on a side street called

Foursquare.”

“We will meet you there,” said Hunter. “Bye.”

“Okay!”

Hunter saw that the time had come to meet Rita. Normally, citizens would ride

the slidewalks to travel through each level of Mojave Center. Hunter wanted

privacy with her, however, and used his link to the city computer to

commandeer a Security vehicle. A Security robot brought the electric vehicle

to Hunter at MC Governor’s office and turned it over to him. Hunter drove it

up to the city terminal, in the top level of the city.

Hunter met Rita Chavez and introduced himself. Rita, who was short, slender,

and dark-haired, wore a gray business suit and had a reserved, professional

demeanor. They climbed into the vehicle and Hunter began the drive down to the

restaurant. He used his radio link to warn robots ahead that they were

approaching as he drove. Only the presence of human pedestrians required his

ringing the melodic warning tone.

“When we spoke earlier,” said Rita, “you declined to explain the entire job

over the phone. What are you paying me to do?”

Hunter looked around. No one was nearby. “All right. But I must have your

agreement that you will keep this confidential. A scientific development of

grave importance is involved.”

“But you’re willing to trust me with it?”

“I require your help.”

“All right,” said Rita. “I agree not to reveal your secret.”

Hunter omitted the scientific details, but told her about the time travel

sphere. Then he gave her a quick explanation of the previous mission and what

he could predict about the next one.

“I’m amazed.” Rita stared at him in shock. “Your entire team has already been

to the time of dinosaurs?”

“That is right.”

“Hunter, I have to ask you something. I agreed to keep this secret and I will.

But several people already know, including the man who preceded me and also

this Dr. Nystrom you just told me about. Someone is going to start talking

sooner or later. It’s just too exciting to keep quiet forever. What will you

do then?”

“I must confine my focus for now,” said Hunter. “Only reproducible evidence

matters in a scientific conclusion, so a small amount of early talk will not

prove anything. I have the Bohung Institute secure at the moment. No ‘matter

how long we have to chase component robots in the past, I hope to complete the

search for MC Governor very soon, in real time counted from his initial

disappearance.”

“Then what will you do about keeping this secret?”

“I have not yet decided. I also prefer not to discuss it further now. The

First Law will govern my actions.”

“I see.” Her tone was cool and professional, revealing little of her opinion.

Hunter drove in silence for several moments.

“You told me you need my expertise as a historian regarding Jamaica in 1668,”

said Rita. “But how do you know that MC 2 will be in Jamaica at that time?”

“I took the information from the device the component robots used to flee,”

said Hunter. “But there is more. When they fled, they miniaturized themselves

to microscopic size. The process made some of their atoms unstable. The time

travel altered that miniaturization so that it is temporary. According to my

calculations, MC 2 will return to normal size on a certain day in 1668. We

certainly cannot locate him before that, but I want to catch him as soon as

possible. Otherwise, once he starts interacting with other humans, he may

alter the course of history.”

“I know it’s theoretically possible to change history,” Rita said doubtfully.

“But it depends on the importance of his actions.”

“I assume you have followed the news,” said Hunter. “You know that a major

explosion took place on the southern coast of Jamaica yesterday.”

“Hm? Oh, yes. Wasn’t that terrible? No one knows what it was, but the tidal

waves are hitting all over the Caribbean. It’s terrible.”

“Yes,” said Hunter. “That was actually MC 2 exploding. The instability of the

component robots’ atoms causes them to explode with nuclear force when they

reach the approximate time from which they originally left, give or take a day

or so.”

“Oh, no.” Rita stared at him in horror. “I’m beginning to understand.” She

hesitated. “They didn’t explode all at once?”

“No. Apparently the component robots of MC Governor himself also have varied

levels of instability. Since the others have not exploded yet, we will go to

Jamaica. When we bring MC 2 back, this explosion will never have happened.”

Hunter spoke stiffly, almost defensively. “If I fail to retrieve him, then I

will have failed the First Law in allowing so much harm to so many people.”

“I’m sure you can get him,” said Rita. “After all, you got MC 1. You probably

won’t even need me, except for a little help here and there.”

“I want you to understand that, for now, I have withheld the fact that the

Jamaican explosion is related to MC 2 from the committee,” said Hunter. “And

certainly from the public.”

She looked up at him, waiting.

“I expect to eliminate the problem, in which case an explanation will be

unnecessary.” He stopped the vehicle in front of Debbie’s Diner. “Here we are.

I will introduce you to the rest of the team.”

Debbie’s Diner was decorated in the fashion of a small Missouri town from the

early twentieth century. The furniture was made of cedar, the deep red and

white of the wood sealed by a clear preservative. Frilly blue and white

curtains hung in all the windows. Jars of fruit preserves made by hand were

for sale in the front.

Steve Chang had already requested a comer table in the back. He and Jane

Maynard were waiting there when Hunter brought in Rita and made introductions.

Hunter looked around, appraising the room.

As he did, Steve looked too. No one was seated close to them. Humans couldn’t

hear them, but of course a robot could increase his aural sensitivity.

“What’s wrong?” Jane asked.

“We can get acquainted here,” said Hunter. “However, the area is extremely

open, offering virtually no privacy. I suggest we postpone our discussion of

specific plans until we move to a secure location.”

“Aw, Hunter.” Steve grinned. “Are you kidding?”

“Of course not,” Hunter said stiffly.

Rita was looking back and forth between them, curiously.

“Hunter, you hired me for my pragmatic experience, as opposed to the formal

education possessed by the rest of your team. Right?”

“Of course.”

“Well, take my word for it. As long as we don’t discuss the science and

technology required for our trip, then anything else we say will go completely

unnoticed. Frankly, nobody believes in time travel.”

“I think you have a point,” said Jane. “They’ll think we’re going to a costume

party or making a historical movie or something.”

“I accept your argument,” said Hunter, again glancing around warily.

“May I ask a question, then?” Rita asked. “I would like to know in more detail

exactly what is expected of me. I understand that, in general, I’m to help

with information about the history and culture of Jamaica in 1668...but what

do you want, exactly?”

“While Jane and Steve were resting up from our last mission, I gathered

clothing and equipment,” said Hunter. “I need Steve to look it over for

practicality and you to screen it for anachronisms.”

“I see,” said Rita.

“It’ll be easier this time,” said Steve. “Last time, we had to take nearly

everything important with us. Now we’re going back to a time and place that

already has human necessities. But we’ll want vaccinations for disease.”

“I’ll work up a list of likely ones,” said Rita. “All the microbes will have

evolved some over the years, but we should take the precautions we can.”

As the group ordered the meals from a robot wait er, Steve studied Rita. She

was petite and pretty, and coolly professional. At least she hadn’t started

needling him, the way the paleontologist on the last mission, Chad Mora, had

done from the moment they met. Steve and Chad had parted friends but they had

not started out that way. Rita’s reserve was a welcome change.

“I’ve never heard of Port Royal, Jamaica,” said Steve. “Not that I’ve been to

the Caribbean. But I’ve never seen it on the ads for tourists or heard it

mentioned when hurricanes are in the news. Where is it?”

“Under the water.” Rita smiled nicety. “Port Royal was located on the southern

coast of Jamaica, to the east. It was across a bay from modern Kingston. In

the seventeenth century, it was the center of Jamaican buccaneer activity, but

a big earthquake hit it in 1692. Its remains have been under the water ever

since.”

“Well, that explains that.” Steve grinned at Jane. “No wonder I’ve never heard

of it.”

“No wonder,” Jane agreed.

“We should all have weapons. I think.” said Rita. “For our own protection.”

“I will have to protect all of you under the First Law,” said Hunter. “I am

much stronger than any human my size, and much quicker. As long as we stay

together. I can handle this task.”

“We’re going to enter a very rough, violent culture,” said Rita. “Port Royal

is even more violent than most areas were during the 1600s.”

“Taking weapons is a problem for me,” said Hunter. “One of my greatest

concerns is that we avoid changing history. We should take back as few items

as possible. Any material we take back beyond the bare minimum increases the

chance that we will alter events in the future—that is, after 1668. Our own

time might not be waiting here for us when we come home. That possibility

makes it a First Law concern.”

“I don’t know how to impress upon you how dangerous Port Royal will be,” said

Rita. “In particular, they will look at Jane and me in a very different way

from what we are used to in our own time. You hired me for my expertise, and I

believe we should all carry at least good-sized knives, if not pistols and

swords.”

“This may be too great a risk—” Hunter began.

“I suggest a compromise,” said Steve.

“What kind?” Jane asked. “After all, Hunter, keeping us safe is also part of

your First Law requirement.”

“We’ll take some money back with us,” said Steve. “Coins from that time, 1668

or earlier. Spanish coins, English coins, whatever Rita says is appropriate.

When we get there, we’ll buy what we need, then leave it behind when we come

home. That way we won’t take anything that originated after 1668 back with

us.”

“‘That would satisfy my concern,” said Rita. “But we’ll have to keep our

wealth well-hidden from the buccaneers around us.”

“A compromise,” Hunter said carefully. “Rita, are coins from that time and

place readily available?”

“Well, they exist,” said Rita. “Many of them were gold, so those are very

expensive. Many are in museums and galleries now, so those aren’t available at

all. But some coins from that time can be found for a reasonable price. I

would try collectors and dealers in the Caribbean.”

“I have a certain number of such coins already,” said Hunter. “I would prefer

not to delay the trip while we wait for more.”

“You know,” said Rita. “They could be faked easily and cheaply. Or would that

be too risky?”

“Fakes would increase the chance of altering history,” said Hunter. “We would

increase the local money supply.”

“How much do you have?” Rita asked.

“One kilogram of silver coin,” said Hunter. “The denominations vary.”

Rita thought a moment. “Exact prices fluctuated, depending on what booty the

buccaneers brought back at any given time. Barter was very common. For our

purposes, however, I think that should do if we are careful with it.”

“This will be a good move for more reasons than just getting weapons,” Steve

said. “We’ll want to rent lodging and buy food, too.”

“We will take two-way radio transmitters this time too,” said Hunter.

“Yeah! That’ll avoid some stupid problems we had last time,” said Steve.

“They must be disguised,” said Rita. “If anyone in 1668 hears voices coming

out of the air, we might be accused of sorcery of some kind and killed on the

spot. Buccaneers were very superstitious, impulsive people.”

“I have the transmitters ready,” said Hunter. “In the form of lapel pins.”

“We should wear them out of sight,” said Rita. “Jewelry will invite thieves.”

“This whole arrangement sounds good to me,” said Steve. “I think this mission

may be safer than the last one. Food and shelter will be waiting and we won’t

have to watch for Tyrannosaurus rexes stampeding after us.”

Jane laughed. “I’m convinced.”

During dinner, Rita had Hunter access the city computer. In consultation with

it, she gave Hunter a list of vaccinations that the human members of the team

would need. He arranged to have the serums waiting at the Institute.

After dinner, Hunter drove the team through Mojave Center to the Bohung

Institute. Rita began briefing them on what to expect in Port Royal, including

some of the sailing terms and other historical references they might need in

the language. Hunter stored it easily, of course.

As Hunter listened to Rita, he also eavesdropped on some of the people around

them. Everyone seemed to be talking about the explosion in Jamaica. The toll

of death, injuries, and destruction was still climbing. The world community

was rushing to help with emergency supplies and services. Experts around the

world were speculating on the cause, but only Hunter and his team knew what it

was.

Hunter’s sense of failure under the First Law for allowing so many humans to

suffer and die was increasing. He wanted to go back into the past as soon as

possible to prevent the disaster. He was making an unusual effort to

concentrate his attention on his duties. Reviewing the moves he had already

made helped to distract him.

Before MC Governor had left, he had arranged for the city computer to

coordinate the duties that were normally his. Hunter had found that the system

was functioning effectively, so he had not interfered with it. Earlier that

day, Hunter had also arranged, through the city computer, for the entire

Bohung Institute to be closed down. He had cited emergency conditions that he

had classified as “unexplained.” It was now guarded by a full detail of

Security robots.

This detail was temporarily under the authority of R. Ishihara. He was the

robot who was normally assigned to Room F-12, where the experimental time

travel unit was located. Originally designed for miniaturization, it had been

modified by MC Governor for this second purpose. Hunter felt that leaving an

Institute robot in charge was appropriate.

After dinner, Hunter drove the team in the Security vehicle up to the Bohung

Institute. By the time he pulled up at the main entrance, he had already

alerted Ishihara that they were coming. Hunter had also transmitted Rita’s

appearance, fingerprints, and voiceprint so that Ishihara could add them to

the screening data for members of Hunter’s team. It was just a precaution.

Hunter fully expected that by the time he brought Rita through the Institute

again on the way out, MC 2 would have been apprehended.

The Security detail was there partly to prevent unexpected visitors from

entering, since the employees had already been notified that the Institute was

closed. Charging the guards with the protection of the humans on Hunter’s team

under the First Law meant that no humans could use the Second Law to

countermand his instructions. However, Hunter’s main reason for assigning the

detail was to capture Dr. Wayne Nystrom if at all possible. The team had last

seen him in the Late Cretaceous Period, but he could be anywhere at any time

by now.

Hunter led his team into Room F-12, where Ishihara was personally stationed.

The room was very large and dominated by an opaque sphere about fifteen meters

in diameter. The rest of the room was lined with countertops filled with

computers, monitors, a communications console, and miscellaneous office items

that had been in use when Hunter had suddenly closed down the Institute.

Inside, Ishihara passed out the oral vaccines to the humans, who took them

immediately. Then he waited by the door. Everyone turned to Hunter for

instructions.

Hunter took them to a small stack of clothes and accessories on a counter.

“Steve, Rita,” said Hunter. “These are the clothes I gathered while Steve and

Jane were sleeping. If they pass inspection, we can leave soon. I hired the

robot tailor from the city personnel department to design and make them based

on research I did in the library. I gave him Steve’s and Jane’s sizes. Rita’s

clothes may need alteration, which I can have done immediately. Since we will

be in the tropics, the clothes are made of cotton, not wool. I directed that

no modern synthetic materials be present in any of them. Steve and I have

already agreed that we will not have to take any packs of survival gear with

us.”

Steve picked up a loose, white shirt and knee breeches, shaking them out to

take a look at them. “Good enough, I’d say. I’ll try them on in a minute.”

First he examined the other clothing, which included two long brown skirts for

Rita and Jane. “These are practical enough, I think. These will help us blend

in when we first arrive. That’s the important part.”

“The clothing design is correct,” said Rita, taking items from Steve. “But

this belt buckle is an anachronism.”

“In what way?” Hunter asked.

“The buckle is made of stainless steel, a more recent development,” said Rita,

tossing the belt to him. She held the hem of one skirt up close to peer at it.

“Did you tell the tailor robot to avoid synthetic thread too?”

“No,” said Hunter. “I was thinking of fabric when I gave him instructions.”

“Better contact him to make sure,” said Rita. She quickly glanced over all the

clothes, including the shoes. “Everything else is acceptable.”

“Take these,” said Hunter, handing each of them a communicator. They were

simple, decorative, silver buttons with a tiny speaker hole in the center, a

pin on the back, and a tiny button on the side. “Pin them to the underside of

your lapels, out of sight. That way, they will be close enough to speak into

without attracting a lot of attention.”

While the humans took turns changing their clothes in an adjacent room, Hunter

called the tailor robot about the thread. He changed his own clothes at the

same time. The thread was satisfactory.

“Fortunately,” said Hunter, “the tailor robot understood my meaning when I

asked him to use only natural fibers of cotton. Steve, are the belts

necessary? We can save time if we do not bother to replace the buckles.”

“No, we can get by without them, at least at first. We can buy some there if

we need them.”

“Good,” said Hunter. “Rita, how are your clothes?”

“How do I look?” She smiled and did a little twirl in her loose blouse and

full skirt. “They’re a little big, but I think good enough. We don’t need to

delay the trip to make minor alterations.” Now that she was out of her

business suit, her manner seemed more casual.

“You look fine,” said Steve. “Hunter, shall we go?”

“I believe we are about ready to go,” said Hunter. “Everyone’s communicator is

in place, I see; good. Before we go, however, I want to brief you again on the

matter of altering history.”

“I think I’ve already heard it,” Steve said wryly. ”Jane too.”

“Rita must hear it,” said Hunter.

“Yeah, well.” Steve rolled his eyes and sat down in a chair. “All right, let’s

get it over with.”

“I have estimated that Mojave Center 2, the robot we seek, will return to full

size from his miniaturized state about the time we arrive. That is how I chose

the destination in time for our trip, since we cannot possibly find him while

he is still microscopic. The greatest danger in this mission is that before we

can apprehend him, he will take actions that alter the time line of history

from 1668 to the present day.”

“I already know that, Hunter,” Rita said patiently.

“I have not made my point yet.”

“Maybe you don’t have to,” said Rita. “Hunter, as a historian, I understand

the theories behind your concern, but let me give you a counterargument, all

right?”

“Go ahead,” said Hunter. After all, what she had said earlier was right; he

had hired her for her expertise.

Steve pointedly faked a yawn and pretended to fall asleep.

Actually, Steve listened with amusement as Rita earnestly argued with Hunter.

Jane seemed seriously interested in their difference of opinion. Hunter’s

face, as usual, was calm and hard to read.

“On the surface of it, the history in this time and place really isn’t very

important,” said Rita. “You see, the depredations of the buccaneers from

Jamaica in this era were a side issue to European wars. In fact, much of the

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Marauder-IsaacAsimov'sRobotsInTime-WilliamFWuISAACASIMOV’SROBOTSINTIMEbyWILLIAMF.WUTHELAWSOFROBOTICS1.Arobotmaynotinjureahumanbeing,orthroughinaction,allowahumanbeingtocometoharm.2.Arobotmustobeytheordersgivenitbyhumanbeings,exceptwheresuchorderswouldconflictwiththeFirstLaw.3.Arobotmustprotectitsown...

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