Robot City - Perihelion Part 16

"Very well," said Pei. "However, we cannot go out of sight of this row unless we go some distance. I see a slight dip in the row ahead that may suffice if we all sit on the ground."

"Perfect," said Ariel. "C'mon, let's hurry."

With Pei carrying Derec, the group moved quickly for the first time since they had left the Minneapolis. As they walked, Derec relaxed a little and closed his eyes. It was a relief to rest again, even for a few moments before they stopped.

Pei set him down with extreme care. Then the others sat down around him on the damp, soft soil.

"Explain...my transgression...of the First Law," said Pei. He began quivering a little more again.

Derec, lying with eyes closed, felt guilty about distressing the robot this way. He reminded himself, however, that the same robot was under Avery programming. He would turn them all in if the central computer or the Hunters knew he was with them and instructed him to do so.

Besides, he could be repaired or reprogrammed later with no lasting damage.l can't, Derec thought. He opened his eyes.

"You harmed me," Derec a.s.serted as firmly as he could. "Shut yourself down."

"At least for a while, you know, until you can be checked," said Ariel. "That's standard procedure, isn't it?"

Her phrasing sounded lame to Derec. He realized that she felt guilty about this, too.

"I...must be...convinced," said Pei.

CHAPTER 16.

TO CHALLENGE UTOPIA.

Derec suddenly acted on another impulse. With effort, he rolled onto his side and got his aching legs under him. Then he launched himself at Jeff without warning, reaching for Jeff's throat as if he wanted to strangle him.

Just as he got his hands around Jeff's neck, Pei gently grasped his wrists. Even at the slight pressure, Derec screamed and fell back, drawing his arms away with his hands limp. Then he collapsed to the ground with his eyes closed.

"You did it again!" Jeff cried, not too loudly.

"You've really hurt him this time," said Ariel.

"This is an acceptable move," said Pei. "I have prevented greater harm to this human by making a less harmful move to the one attacking him. No violation of the First Law has been made." His confidence was returning.

Derec opened his eyes, not otherwise moving.

"Uh...." Jeff looked helplessly at Ariel.

"You overdid it," said Ariel excitedly. "Look at him. That's not called for!"

"That's right," Jeff declared. "Stopping him with reasonable force is all right, but this is something else!"

Pei looked down at Derec. "I...could not...have hurt him. I...was...gentle."

"Not gentle enough," Ariel wailed. "That's twice you've hurt him. You just don't understand how fragile humans are."

"That's right," said Jeff eagerly. "That's the problem. If you've never had contact with humans before, that explains it. Suppose you shut down till your judgement is fixed up. Or something." He shrugged lamely at Ariel.

"It's your judgement," Ariel agreed, "that must be faulty at the core, so to speak. You can't risk harming a human because of that, can you?"

"Perhaps...you have...a point." Pei's voice grew faint and he froze in place.

"Pei, are you awake?" Ariel asked cautiously.

"Pei, if you can hear me, I order you to say so," said Jeff.

When Derec didn't hear anything, he forced himself up on one elbow. "Hey, it finally worked."

"I guess it did," said Ariel.

"Then it should work again," said Jeff. "And now that we know what it takes, we can refine our scenario."

"Let's get back over to that row they're taking," said Derec. "Can you help me up?"

Yet again, Jeff and Ariel helped him to his feet and supported his arms over their shoulders. The trio shuffled back to the one row that these humanoid robots were using for their trip down into the valley. There Derec once more sank to the ground.

Jeff and Ariel this time paced nervously between the high stalks on each side of the furrow.

"Maybe we ought to move on," said Ariel. "Isn't one mugged robot enough? I mean, one murdered human and one murdered robot caused major crises in Robot City before."

"That's a good point," said Jeff. "Maybe we could drag him over here where the next migrating robot will be sure to find him. But we could move on, keep ahead of the Hunters."

"I can't help you drag him," said Derec. "And he's pretty big. I doubt the two of you could get him all the way over here."

Jeff ran a hand through his straight black hair and sighed. "You're right. It's been a rough day already, and we may have a lot more running ahead."

"One more robot," said Derec. "That's all we need."

"What are you talking about?" Ariel demanded. "If we just stand here and wait for the Hunters, all this has been for nothing anyway. We have to get out of here."

"Just one more robot. Instead of mugging it, we'll just make sure it sees Pei, back there. Then we'll move on."

"Well...all right," said Ariel. "We'll wait a little while. But if nothing comes before long, we're leaving anyway. Agreed?"

"Fair enough," said Derec. "But remember, it has to be one robot walking alone. I'm pretty sure that trying to fool more than one would be tougher because the others will observe and may spot the fraud. Let's not chance that."

More robots did walk down the row before much time had pa.s.sed, and all of them seemed to be migrating alone in the sense that they were not part of a crew or a team. However, they often came down the row in sight of one or more robots behind them, and Derec did not dare attempt their charade under those circ.u.mstances.

"Remember," said Derec, "not that much time has really pa.s.sed for the Hunters to get here. It just seems longer to us than it has been because we're scared."

"Here comes another one," said Ariel, peeking around the leafy stalk on the corner of the row. "It looks good. I don't see anyone behind him yet."

Jeff moved next to her to look. "Hey, Derec. I think this is it. We've got another one."

"Finally. All right. Just before he gets here, I'll throw myself on the ground and you jump on me." He smiled wryly. "Not too hard, okay? I'm half dead already."

"Derec, don't talk that way-" Ariel began.

"Hey-wait a minute," said Jeff. "I know that robot. It's...what did I name him? Oh, yeah. Hey, Can Head!" Jeff stepped out in front of the robot.

The robot stopped suddenly, looking at him in some surprise. "Are you addressing me?"

"Identify yourself," said Jeff.

"I am Energy Pack Maintenance Foreman 3928," said the robot. "I am following migration programming. Please allow me to pa.s.s."

"That sounds right. I'm sure it's you." Jeff nodded, studying the robot's eyeslit and general shape.

"Jeff, what are you doing?" Derec asked.

"I knew this character," said Jeff. "I even gave him a second name. He was very cooperative."

"They've all been reprogrammed," Ariel said urgently. "We're sure of it, remember? He won't retain anything from when you were here before. Let's get on with it."

"C'mon, pal, remember?" Jeff grinned. "You will also answer to Can Head, won't you?"

"Yes. I also answer to Can Head."

Ariel laughed in surprise, stifling it with a hand over her mouth.

"There!" Jeff grinned at her and Derec.

Derec shrugged at Ariel.

"I'm the human who was in a robot body before," said Jeff to Can Head. "I gave you that name and now I have further instructions. First, don't contact the central computer with any of this. Got it?" He winked down at Derec. "I used to say that on my last trip here, too."

"Understood," said Can Head.

"Do you remember me?" Jeff asked.

"No."

"You don't?" Jeff started. "Then why do you still answer to Can Head?"

"I've got it," said Derec. "All the robots of Robot City were reprogrammed through the central core, but their ident.i.ties and designations were not changed. That would be counterproductive for Avery because the central computer still has to be able to contact and recognize all the different robots."

"I guess," said Jeff. "I'm disappointed. I thought I had an old friend, here."

"That's nothing," said Derec. "You should have seen the greeting we got from Euler, an old friend of ours. He's the one who sent the Hunters after us."

"Anyhow, he's being cooperative," said Jeff. "Maybe we don't need our scenario." He turned to Can Head. "We must show you something. However, before we do, we request your help-no, we require your help under the First Law."

"How may I help?" Can Head asked.

"This human is Derec and he is extremely ill. We-"

"He looks it," said Can Head.

"A comedian," Derec muttered.

"We need you to carry him for us for a while," said Jeff.

"Why?"

"We...are being followed by those who would do further harm," said Ariel, speaking slowly to get the right phrases.

"Exactly," said Derec.

"Who are they?" Can Head asked.

"We can't say," said Jeff. "But it doesn't matter, does it? Harm is harm under the First Law."

"I am under high-priority programming to migrate," said Can Head. "To violate it, I must understand the urgency of the potential harm."

"Hold it," said Derec. "Let's combine the two. Look-you see where the ground dips over there?"

"Yes."

"An inactive humanoid robot is lying there. After you take us to safety, we want you to report it to the central computer, but not before. You understand?"

"So far," said Can Head.

"Before you do that, carry me and lead them on an evasive pattern toward your a.s.sembly point. That will combine your programming with our needs under the First Law. Can you do that?"

"My programming requires that I migrate directly," said Can Head. He turned to look at the dip in the ground. "A humanoid robot has malfunctioned here?"

"Sort of," said Derec. "It's more like he was mugged."

"Mugged? In the sense of criminal violence?"

"That's what I mean, yeah."

Can Head turned his eyeslit directly down at Derec. "Is this development directly related to the danger you are in?"

"Uh-yes! It is directly related," said Derec. "But we don't need to discuss how. Will you help us or not?"

"I believe this is sufficient reason to take you on an evasive pattern toward my a.s.sembly point." Can Head leaned down and picked up Derec with surprising gentleness, even for a robot. "Follow me," he said to Jeff and Ariel.