RIT1 - Predator, Isaac Asimov's Robots in Time - William F Wu

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Predator - Isaac Asimov's Robots In Time, vol 1 - by William F. Wu
ISAAC ASIMOV’S
ROBOTS IN TIME
PREDATOR
WILLIAM F. WU
Copyright © 1993
This novel is dedicated to
Bill Moss,
in memory of all those colorful plastic dinosaurs
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Predator - Isaac Asimov's Robots In Time, vol 1 - by William F. Wu
we used to play with,
and of our formative years together.
Special thanks are due for help in writing this novel to Michael D. Toman, as usual, for
invaluable research aid; Dr. William Q. Wu, and Cecile F. Wu, my parents, for indulging my
childhood interest in dinosaurs; Ricia Mainhardt; John Betancourt; and Byron Preiss.
THE LAWS OF ROBOTICS
1.
A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to
harm.
2.
A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict
with the First Law.
3.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the
First or Second Law
Foreward
In “Robot Visions,” Dr. Isaac Asimov writes about a question inherent in any time travel story—
whether individuals traveling in time will alter events that would have occurred without the
interference of a time traveler. Most writers who tackle this question write about changing the
past and whether doing so is desirable or not. The Good Doctor, once again exhibiting the
originality of his own vision, chooses to focus on a more rarely examined concern: of traveling
into the future, and the possible consequences of doing so.
Stories that merely take place in the future are not the same as stories about individuals who
travel from their own time, whatever it is, to their future. To my knowledge, the first science
fiction novel to tell such a story is the classic novel by H. G. Wells, The Time Machine. In it Wells
writes of a man who travels to the distant future from Victorian England, the time and place in
which Wells was writing the novel. However, Wells presented a dystopian vision of the future as
a warning of what could happen if the rigid social and economic divisions of his own society
worsened to the extreme. The possibility of avoiding that vision lay not with the time traveler,
but with the people who lived in Wells’s time. Wells did not really examine whether his time
traveler’s report to his friends back in his own time would bring about a different future.
Two theories of history influence the tale any writer tells about time travel. One belief is that
only large forces such as technological advance, economic change, and the development of
religions and philosophies determine the direction of history. The other theory is that any event,
“no matter how small, sends out ripples of influence that profoundly affect all other events. An
historian told me that his colleagues are about evenly divided in their support of these theories.
Authors of time travel stories always write with one or the other implicit, if not explicit, in their
work.
I first discovered the science fiction of Isaac Asimov as a child and have read both his fiction
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and nonfiction in the years since then. Writing time travel stories about his positronic robots
and his Three Laws of Robotics is therefore a special honor for me, and I hope you will enjoy the
Robots in Time series. By way of introduction, this book presents the late Dr. Asimov’s fantastic
“Robot Visions.”
William F. Wu.
1
Mojave Center Governor sat in his office, deep in the underground city of Mojave Center. He was
an experimental humaniform robot of a type that was new this year, 2140. Each of the Governor
robots was currently running all the municipal systems of one entire, newly-constructed city.
They were doing so under probationary status, monitored by a committee of scientists through
their computer.
His office was in the middle level of the city, in the center of that level. He didn’t really need an
office at all since most of his work was done through his radio link to the city computer or
directly to municipal departments; further, he could plug into various terminals when
necessary. However, he had learned that humans sometimes preferred doing business in an
office, so he maintained a small room in Mojave Center for that purpose.
At the moment, MC Governor was alone. He plugged his humaniform forefinger into a wall jack.
Inside the jack, the end of his finger opened and plugged into the system. He contacted the city
computer.
“I am going to run a simulation program again,” said MC Governor. “I will continue my normal
duties through my multi-tasking system. However, I instruct you not to transfer any
communication or other interruption lower than Priority 5. When I have finished running the
simulation, I will notify you.”
“Acknowledged,” said the city computer.
MC Governor returned his finger to human shape, breaking the shielded connection. For the
sake of security, he told himself, he chose not to use radio communication concerning the
simulation programs. Lately he had been running them more often than before.
He ran down his list of programs. They were standard simulation programs that all the
Governors used to discover and correct potential problems and challenges without actually
having to face them in real life. His favorites involved some sort of disaster that befell Mojave
Center, requiring him to respond urgently under the Laws of Robotics to restore the situation to
normal. Like all positronic robots, he was programmed so that his greatest imperative, and his
greatest reward, was in obeying the Laws. The First Law of Robotics was, “A robot may not
injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.”
This time, he selected the program called Desert Flash Flood. It was essentially a form of role-
playing game. He began running it. Suddenly he found himself standing in the main
thoroughfare of Mojave Center, Antelope Valley Boulevard, with water a meter high pouring
down the street.
MC Governor was a very tall, brawny robot. He ran through the water to a young woman who
was stumbling and splashing helplessly, trying to hold a toddler in her arms. As MC Governor
picked her up and strode through the current toward an escalator, he radioed the city monitors
who controlled all the basic life functions.
“Shut down all electricity to nonessential services if they have failed to shut down
automatically,” he instructed the computer, as he carried the woman and her child. “Run a
status check on the emergency electrical systems providing essential services.”
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Right now, his greatest worry was the electrocution of humans if broken power lines touched
the flood water. As a Governor robot, he was a central control unit, capable of managing entire
cities, from traffic to essential services and utilities, to environmental control and industry. The
city had its own decentralized computer systems, which reported directly to him and took his
instructions by way of his internal radio and video systems.
“Thank you,” the woman gasped, clutching her drenched toddler as MC Governor set her down
on the rising escalator.
Almost immediately, the monitors reported that nonessential services were being discontinued.
The escalator stopped moving, but the woman stumbled on up the steps. MC Governor waded
back into the water toward a trolley full of humans stranded on one side of the boulevard. They
were yelling and screaming in panic. Its robot driver was speaking calmly to his passengers,
asking for patience.
The city monitors reported that the emergency power system was functioning safely.
“Send me all data related to the cause of the flood,” he ordered. At the same time, he moved
behind the stranded vehicle. It normally ran on a battery-powered electric motor. Now the robot
driver steered as MC Governor pushed the vehicle to the stationary escalator, where the driver
began helping the humans onto it.
As the monitors all over the city reported their data, MC Governor computed the information. A
flash flood had taken place in the Mojave Desert above them, washing down from the San
Gabriel Mountains to the south. Normally, it should not have been a problem. The top surface of
Mojave Center, a large rectangle on the desert floor, was comprised mostly of solar cells, which
provided power. It was fully sealed, of course, so that flood water would normally pass right
over the underground city. In this case, however, the force of the flood had ripped open the
surface and water was still pouring down into the top levels of the city.
Robots working on those levels were already struggling to seal off the leak. Others all over the
city were coordinating evacuation efforts for the humans. MC Governor was about to request
the details of those efforts when he was interrupted from outside the simulation program.
“City computer calling Mojave Center Governor with a Priority 8 emergency.”
MC Governor shut off the simulation and inserted his finger into the wall jack again to shield
his communication. “MC Governor here. Report the emergency.”
“Flooding is reported on the main level over Antelope Valley Boulevard. At this time, the Priority
8 emergency is estimated to be thirty-seven minutes from reaching a Priority 9 level without
additional measures.”
“What is the cause of the flooding?”
“The circulation of water was routed incorrectly through the city. Too much water was directed
to the problem area, and the increased pressure burst two main valves simultaneously.”
“Why was the water routed incorrectly?”
“The orders came from you.”
“Are all standard emergency procedures under way?”
“Affirmative. The most critical is that all drainage systems are open to the maximum.”
MC Governor quickly broke the connection and ran outside. The scene was similar to that of the
simulation, though not identical. Not as much water was running down the boulevard; it was
only half a meter deep, but many more people were running for the escalators and sliding
ramps, yelling to each other. MC Governor was horrified; somehow, he had allowed his
involvement with the simulation to influence his multi-tasking ability. Unwittingly, he had begun
to create the flood in the simulation, putting humans at risk in violation of the First Law of
Robotics.
He waded into the water, snatched up two children who had been knocked off their feet by the
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current, and carried them to the nearest rising slide ramp.
“City computer,” he radioed. “What is the status of the broken valves now?”
“A robot maintenance team has shut off the water flow manually at the preceding valves. The
broken valves are not yet under replacement.”
Around MC Governor, people were still in danger. The shallow water would not drown anyone in
the areas where it had flowed into gentle backwaters, but the current was powerful enough to
knock people down. If they were injured, they might drown even in shallow water. Other robots
were already wading through the water, carrying people to safety.
A short, balding man with frizzy gray hair had lost his footing. Though sitting in water that was
not over his head, he was clinging to the bumper of a small utility vehicle, unable to pull himself
up against the force of the current. He pulled himself toward the bumper, tried to gain traction
with his feet, and was knocked down again. This time he lost his grip and was rolled roughly
down the boulevard.
MC Governor waded quickly to the man and lifted him up. He was an engineer named Max Eisen,
to whom MC Governor had spoken briefly before. As MC Governor carried him, Eisen coughed
and wheezed, but was breathing. In several long strides, MC Governor returned to the ramp,
where he set the man down in a sitting position. Then he looked around again.
“Over there,” Max wheezed, pointing.
A young woman with curly orange hair had jumped up onto the pedestal next to an abstract
stone sculpture. She was looking doubtfully at the water swirling around the base of the
pedestal. As MC Governor hurried toward her, the pedestal tilted from the imbalance her weight
caused. Water flowed under its raised edge, pushing it over.
The young woman gasped as she was thrown through the air. The stone sculpture began to slide
off its pedestal in the same direction. Before she hit the water, however, MC Governor managed
to catch her and swing her out of the way. In the spot where she would have struck the water,
the stone sculpture splashed and then cracked against the hard floor beneath it.
“You are safe now,” said MC Governor, carrying her back to the ramp to join Max.
The water was slowing down quickly now. With the broken pipes turned off and the drainage
open to the maximum, the emergency was passing. Up and down the boulevard, robots were
helping humans to safety and seeing to their injuries if they had sustained any.
“Elaine,” said Max. “I would like to introduce you to Mojave Center Governor, the robot who runs
our city.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Elaine smiled gratefully, brushing her orange hair out of her face. “And
thank you.”
“I may not deserve thanks,” MC Governor said grimly. “I should never have allowed this to
happen.”
Internally, he radioed the water system monitors again. They all reported good drainage. Then
he called the city computer. “Are you aware of any immediate First Law imperatives that are not
being addressed?”
“No.”
“Compile total damage estimates, including human casualties, and relay them to me as soon as
they are reasonably complete. Prioritize repairs according to safety factors.” He was very
worried that his lapse had caused humans to be injured or worse.
“Acknowledged,” said the city computer.
Then MC Governor reviewed the power monitors and turned the electricity back on in all the
branches of the system that were undamaged.
“Elaine just moved here,” said Max. “I’m afraid this wasn’t a very good introduction, Elaine, but
Mojave Center really promises to be a good place to live.”
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MC Governor towered over Max as he looked down at him. “Do you need medical care? Either of
you?”
“I’m okay,” said Elaine, looking up at him with wide-eyed wonder. “Thanks to you and the First
Law of Robotics.”
“I twisted my ankle,” said Max, shifting his weight. “I don’t think it’s too serious, but maybe it
should be looked at.”
“Of course.”
“We shouldn’t keep you,” said Elaine. “I’m sure you should be in contact with all your
subordinates.”
“I am,” said MC Governor. “My multi-tasking ability allows me to make contacts and decisions
even as we speak.” He lifted Max gently and began walking up the ramp. “Max, I will take you to
the nearest first aid station.”
“Okay.”
Elaine walked with them. “Can I ask you another question? Why are you so gigantic?”
Max laughed.
“Actually, I am a gestalt robot. I am comprised of six robots, both in body and in mind.”
“What?” She cocked her head to one side, puzzled. “You mean you can divide into six smaller
robots?”
“Yes, that is right.” MC Governor smiled. “The reason I am this big is that I can divide into six
robots of rather small human stature, slender and short.”
“But what for? Why not just make one big one, like you are, if that’s what the city needs?”
“In the event of certain types of large-scale emergencies, I can divide into my component robots
so that each can move directly to a different site to manage damage control.”
“Makes sense to me,” said Max. “Right, Elaine?”
“Yes, I see. But what about your brain, Governor? Does it segment somehow?”
“No, not physically.” MC Governor was amused at the thought. “Their positronic brains are
physically distinct from mine, of course, but right now all six are merging data with mine to
create my own personality. In order to divide, I will have to allow each latent personality to
separate and take control over its data as well as its own body.”
“I’m impressed,” said Elaine. “And a little confused. I never heard of anything like this—that is, a
robot like you.”
“He represents the new cutting edge in municipal robotics,” said Max. “I read all about him. And
this very moment, even as he speaks to us, he’s also monitoring all the energy consumption,
security matters, engineering functions, and anything else you can think of regarding the city.”
“You’re doing all that right now?” Elaine studied MC Governor’s face, as though for a clue of
some sort to the effort he was expending.
“That is the job.” MC Governor shrugged amiably. “I was constructed for it, so to me, combining
all these duties is not surprising.”
“Tell me,” said Elaine, studying his face curiously. “What do you do for fun?”
“Aw, I don’t think robots have a lot of fun,” said Max. “Oh, do they?”
“As a robot, my greatest pleasure is in obeying the Three Laws of Robotics. That value is
hardwired into my positronic brain, as it is with all positronic robots.” MC Governor smiled,
enjoying the mere thought of them. “The First Law of Robotics says,, A robot may not injure a
human being—’ “
“Yes,” said Elaine, nodding recognition. “We learned them in school.”
MC Governor heard her, but he really wanted to recite them all. Doing so gave him a feeling of
security and satisfaction. “The Second Law is, ‘A robot must obey the orders given it by human
beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.’ Then the Third Law of
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Robotics is—”
“‘A robot must protect his own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the
First or Second Laws,’ “ Elaine finished, grinning impishly.
“Yes—exactly,” said MC Governor, suddenly embarrassed. “Please pardon me for boring you
with this matter.” He was about to ask Elaine some polite questions about her interests when he
received a radio alert from the city’s communication center.
“Governor, Priority 6 communication is requested.”
“Acknowledged,” said MC Governor. Priority 6 also required a shielded communication, so he
would have to take it in his office, but it was not enough to override his duty to Max. He
delivered Max to the robots at a first aid station, bade both humans goodbye, and hurried
toward his office.
As MC Governor strode quickly down Antelope Valley Boulevard toward one of the slidewalks,
he judged the damage he could see. The underground city had different levels, connected by
various moving ramps, slidewalks, and lifts; generally, they appeared untouched. Of course,
much of the water damage would not be immediately visible.
As he walked, all he could think about was that he had failed in his duty.
MC Governor sat down in his desk chair and plugged his humaniform forefinger into a wall jack
once more. He gave his password and called for the Priority 6 message.
“Message source: The Governor Robot Oversight Committee Computer.
“Text: The Governor Robots of the following experimental cities have entered closed loops:
Emerald City, Republic of Ireland; Kenyatta Center, Kenya; New Monegaw Springs, Missouri;
Osaka Center, Japan; Rio de Oro Center, Brazil. “
The exact times that each Governor had entered the closed’ loop were given next. MC Governor
adjusted those times for the different time zones in which each city was located around the
world. He found that each Governor robot had malfunctioned within the last three hours.
MC Governor disconnected, his mind working quickly. He was one of only six Governor robots
being tested on Earth right now, and the other five had all failed today. Since the Governors had
all been constructed with the same basic design, he was forced to conclude that he would
experience the same fate, probably very soon.
MC Governor had a very levelheaded, rational, not very flashy personality. He was totally
dedicated to his job. However, when he was thinking alone, without having to pace himself to
human abilities or to slower electronic equipment, he could think extremely quickly.
Now his own existence was threatened. Since neither a threat to humans nor direct human
orders were present, the First and Second Laws of Robotics did not apply. Under these
conditions, the Third Law of Robotics compelled him to evaluate his position at maximum
efficiency in both speed and clarity.
Obviously, some crucial design flaw was about to make him enter a closed loop. It would put
him into a state roughly parallel to a comatose condition in humans. Even worse, however, was
the danger from the Oversight Committee of scientists.
In order to study him, they would have to dismantle him even if they could take control of him
before he entered the closed loop. They would need nothing more than to reach him with a
direct order for him to shut himself down until further notice; under the Second Law, their
instruction alone would be enough to control his behavior. His first priority was to insulate
himself from receiving any such instruction. After that, he would have to find out how to avoid
entering the endless loop.
He was able to infer some information that was not actually part of the message. For instance,
the message came from the Oversight Committee’s computer, not the committee itself. Their
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computer had probably judged for itself that the message should be sent to him. So far the
scientists had apparently not learned of this.
MC Governor did not know how often the scientists actually reviewed the data regarding the
Governors. Since the experimental robots had already been functioning successfully for many
months without a problem, the four roboticists were probably not bothering to check the data
too frequently. However, an emergency of this magnitude would probably prompt their
computer to contact their offices directly. When they learned that he had caused water mains to
break by incorrectly routing the normal water supply, they would be even more concerned.
His deliberations and immediate plans were formed in less than a second. A more detailed
strategy would have to wait until he had more information. First he plugged back into the secure
link to the city computer.
“Priority 10,” he instructed. That meant that only he or the scientists on the committee could
access this. He had no way to prevent them from getting information from anywhere in the
Mojave Center system, but he could stop accidental leaks of information. “Delete all records of
receipt, storage, and acknowledgment of last Priority 6 message. Until further directives from
me, indicate to all exterior and interior communications that city operations are functioning
normally. Do not pass any direct instructions to me from any humans. Store them and use
Priority 10 communication to tell me that some. have arrived, without revealing their content.”
When the city computer had acknowledged receipt, he withdrew his finger. That would delay
any instructions from the Oversight Committee, but not for long. They would merely have to
call any human here in Mojave Center and ask him to pass the orders on to MC Governor. If he
stayed in his office, however, he would not have to hear any human instructions in person,
either.
MC Governor plugged back into the city computer. “Priority 10. Have a detail of Security robots
report to the exterior of my office immediately and block all humans from entering. The
Security detail is to report to me if any humans approach my office. They are not to convey any
direct messages of any kind to me from a human until and unless I personally give further
instructions.”
He hesitated, at least by robotic standards. If a human ordered a Security robot to convey a
message, the Second Law would override his own orders. He would have to block that possibility
with a First Law imperative.
“I, MC Governor, may be in personal danger from anticipated human contact. If my functions are
disrupted, harm may come to the human residents of Mojave Center. A First Law imperative is
therefore involved.”
That would not stop the Oversight Committee’s directives from reaching him forever, but it
would be enough at least to force the Committee to make some effort. The robots on Security
detail would have to be persuaded that a greater or more immediate First Law imperative
overrode this one. Otherwise, they would have to be physically disabled or destroyed before
they would disobey his instructions.
The danger of his entering an endless loop was more complex. He had never noticed any
tendency on his part to enter any sort of long-term loop. If the scientists on the Oversight
Committee had learned of this problem, he would have heard from them before now. That
meant that the problem was likely to hit with no internal warning.
His own monitoring systems might not be reliable. He judged that his best chance to learn
something quickly about his own basic design was to contact his creator, Wayne Nystrom.
Wayne was not part of the Oversight Committee, of course, since its mission was to study his
work. MC Governor would have to call him and instruct the city computer to shield the call and
delete all records of it.
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MC Governor did not want—in human terms—to die.
2
Wayne Nystrom stood inside his air-conditioned mobile office, looking out the window. In the
distance, the turquoise waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the pale sand of the Florida beach were
bright in the sunlight. Immediately in front of him, however, robot drivers were piling the sand
in huge mounds with giant earth movers, preparing a place for Turquoise Coast, the latest
underground city of Wayne’s own design. Like the others, it would be run by a Governor robot
that was still under construction.
“Biggest challenge yet,” he muttered. He was alone in his office, as he always preferred.
Eccentric and secure in the knowledge of his own brilliance, he preferred his own company to
anyone else’s and often carried out private conversations with himself, being the only human on
any planet whom he really trusted. At the age of forty-one, he was finally achieving the success
with his creations that he had always known he deserved.
His telephone beeped his personal code. He moved toward it reluctantly, still watching the robot
crew dig into the sand outside. “And they told me I couldn’t build an underground city here
because you strike water so soon under the surface,” he growled sourly. “Wrong again, as
usual.”
He sighed and pushed the button on his telephone speaker. “Yeah?”
“Good day, Dr. Nystrom.” The humaniform robot face of Mojave Center Governor came on the
video screen.
“Hello, Governor!” Wayne instantly relaxed when he realized that the caller was one of his own
robotic creations. “I’m glad to hear from you! How are you?”
“I have an emergency situation that I may not be able to handle,” said MC Governor somberly.
“Not likely,” said Wayne, though he welcomed the challenge of an intellectual puzzle. Besides,
MC Governor had always been somber and serious. “What’s the problem?”
“The Third Law prevents me from speaking of it by public telephone. I need help. Will you come
to see me so that we can talk in private?”
“Of course,” said Wayne. “I stand by all of my creations. You know that. Will tomorrow be soon
enough?”
“I fear not,” said MC Governor. “Every hour counts. Perhaps every minute.”
Wayne hesitated, surprised. He was anxious to know more and was suddenly frightened by the
sense of urgency that MC Governor was conveying. “All right. This project doesn’t need me right
now. I’ll arrange a flight right away.”
MC Governor disconnected, unsure whether Dr. Nystrom could really help him. While Dr.
Nystrom might be the only one who could enlighten him quickly on his basic design flaw, his
creator might simply arrive too late.
Dr. Nystrom would first have to pack and arrange a chartered SST flight from Florida to Mojave
Center’s small airport. That would take some time, as would the flight itself. If nothing
unexpected occurred to slow him down, he needed a couple of hours to get here at absolute
minimum.
MC Governor decided to review his internal data. He began by examining his design in three-
dimensional blueprint, but he saw nothing he had not seen before. Then he began running the
standard simulation programs.
All the simulations presented options that involved the Three Laws of Robotics. As he reviewed
them, he ran short segments of each, looking for irregularities. These simulations were as close
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to a hobby as he possessed.
MC Governor especially liked the simulations that presented him with First Law imperatives. In
fact, they were the part of his programming that kept his morale high. He opened his favorite
one, Earthquake Simulation 9, near the climax.
In this one, a major earthquake has shaken the San Andreas Fault, roughly seventy kilometers
west of Mojave Center. Because of the danger of earthquakes in the region, Mojave Center had
been designed and constructed as a self-contained, sealed unit. Its four sides and floor were
sealed, the surfaces smooth and the edges rounded. Theoretically, it would float in the sand
around it during an earthquake of virtually any magnitude, with its water tanks and batteries
safely inside.
During a major quake, the box containing the city would be shaken, mostly laterally, snapping
off the aqueducts that brought water down from the mountaintops in the area. The solar panels
on the top surface, however, would remain attached and functional. When the quake stopped,
the city should remain intact, though the floating might bring it to rest at a slightly tilted angle.
Inside the city, of course, all the positronic robot labor would be warning humans to stay inside
and helping them find secure locations.
However, Earthquake Simulation 9 postulated an additional problem. After a simulated
earthquake of nine on the Richter scale, Mojave Center has survived intact but has come to rest
at a severe angle. The robots can adjust their perception of spatial relations more easily than
humans, and the human residents are disoriented and near hysteria.
Then a major aftershock hits. Now that the city is no longer in its original position, and has
already sustained major stress to its outer shell, it is much more vulnerable, and parts of the
city begin to break. At this point, MC Governor decided to turn on the simulation.
In MC Governor’s positronic imagination, he strode through Antelope Valley Boulevard against
four feet of rushing water. It flowed out of broken water pipes protruding from the walls and
poured down all the streets.
“City computer,” MC Governor ordered in quick, firm tones through the radio link. “Shut down
all electricity in Mojave Center now. Trigger all emergency chemical lights immediately. Priority
I, First Law emergency in effect.”
Instantly, the normal bright, indirect electric light went off, to be replaced by slightly dimmer
orange and yellow light sources provided by chemical reactions. They were in self-contained,
waterproof units that would not, if broken, endanger humans by sending an electrical charge
into the water. Meanwhile, helpless humans screamed and clung to whatever railings or fixed
furnishings they could, in danger of drowning or being dashed against the walls, debris, and
malfunctioning ramps and escalators.
As MC Governor passed, he picked them up in his strong arms as though they were children,
holding them high above the dangerous water. “You will be taken to safety,” he said calmly.
“Please do not struggle.”
Respecting his judgment and ability, the frightened humans obeyed him.
All around him, other robots were also rescuing humans from imminent death and severe injury
wherever they could. Still more robots used tools or their own robotic body strength to close
valves or crimp pipes shut in whatever way was possible. Driven by the First Law, every robot
present was risking his own existence to save the humans.
With a woman sitting on his shoulders and two grown men under each arm, MC Governor forced
his way to an upper level where an escalator was still functioning. He could have just set them
down and let them find their way to the surface, but his interpretation of the First Law would
not allow that. Instead, he climbed up the moving escalator, still carrying his charges.
On the top level, which was devoted entirely to engineering, MC Governor set down his human
file:///E|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Princess%...20Robots%20in%20Time%20-%20William%20F%20Wu.htm (10 of 107)11/19/2005 4:17:01 AM
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