Asimov’s Future History Volume 6 Read online

  “All right, Jeffrey. Back into the labyrinth again. They’ll never find you in your second home.”

  As before, he used the tunnel system to shake the chase. This time he departed before any pursuit came into view. The tunnel system, unless it was shut down completely, remained the perfect escape. The individual booths kept him isolated and the tunnels had so many stops and branches that his chance of losing himself down there was very good. After another long ride, he came up again at a random spot and went to the edge of the nearest slidewalk.

  As he waited for a humanoid robot to ride the slidewalk his way, he seriously considered the possibility that the robots running the city might actually shut down his tunnel system. It wouldn’t break the Laws.

  This crazy city might have other places he could sleep in peace, and it almost certainly would offer other ways of escaping pursuit. He just hadn’t had time to find out what they were yet.

  “Hey, where is everybody? What’s going on?”

  He glanced around, puzzled. Everywhere else in the city, humanoid robots had been more or less everywhere. He could see a few in the distance now, but none were coming past him.

  “Ho, ho, Jeffrey ol’ boy. Time to get smart, maybe, eh? Something isn’t quite normal. No sense just standing out here to frost. Let’s just take a little trip, visit the tunnel again, see the sights.”

  Now leery of a trap, he turned and fled back down the tunnel stop. Moments later, he was shooting through the underground system again in one of the booths, looking at the robots in other booths all around him. What if they were part of the trap? Maybe he was being escorted, herded, to wherever they wanted him to go.

  “Calmly, calmly,” he said aloud in the booth. “Maybe they don’t know anything for sure. Maybe they’re trying to smoke you out. Look like everybody else, remember?” He started giggling to himself. “That’s it.

  Stay calm and look like all the others.”

  He did so, secretly looking over the other robots traveling in the tunnels. None of them seemed to pay any attention to him.

  “Shaken the pursuit again, have you?” he said out loud. “Very good, very good. This will work. This project will work. Now, let’s get on with it.”

  Still, some time passed before he decided that he could safely return to the surface again. Then he picked another stop at random and reemerged into the sunlight. Now he was once more in an area of the city with a fair amount of humanoid traffic on the slidewalks, as he had been used to seeing. In the distance, the tall pyramid glinted in the sunlight, giving him a reference point.

  He flagged down the first humanoid robot who came riding by, and identified himself as human. Like the last robot he had approached this way, Energy Pack Maintenance Foreman 3928 verified his claim with the central computer.

  “I am satisfied that you are Jeffrey Leong, a human,” said E Pack Foreman 3928.

  “Good. Then under the Second Law, you know —, —”

  “As a positronic robot, I am familiar with the Laws of Robotics.”

  “All right!” Jeff shouted. “Then get this! Don’t ever interrupt me again! You understand, you slag heap?”

  “I understand,” the robot said blandly.

  “You’d better. Come to think of it, that moniker of yours is too long. From now on, you answer to Can Head. Got it?”

  “Yes.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “My name is Energy Pack Maintenance Foreman 3928. I will also answer to Can Head.”

  “Well... good enough, I guess.” Jeff laughed. “Now listen to this. I want to contact the two humans living here in Robot City. I’ve met them, and I think they’re the only ones here. You use your comlink or whatever it is to get a hold of them. That’s an order,” he added, leaning close and staring into Can Head’s eyeslit.

  “I have just checked with the central computer. I can go through it to a computer console in their dwelling. However, I lack the capacity to transmit your voice directly.”

  “Yeah? You aren’t lying to me, are you, Can Head?”

  “I lack that capacity, as well.”

  “Hmm — maybe. You should. Unless things aren’t as they seem around here. Nothing in this town is right, if you ask me. Only, how can I trust you to pass on what I say? What if you play around a little with the content? Or don’t report what they say back to me just like they say it? What about that?”

  “I lack the capacity for deceit.”

  “What do you need to transmit my voice directly? A microphone and some other equipment, I guess, huh?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s go find some. You get it and arrange for me to contact them directly. Get going.”

  Chapter 14

  THE TRANSPLANT

  ARIEL SAT AT the console, trying to think up other subjects that might tell her something about Jeff or his whereabouts. Derec was out with the medical team, making plans to catch him. The search for Jeff had given Derec and Ariel a new focus for their attempt to get off the planet, and the fact that they had actually seen him made their chances seem more tangible. Her spirits were up again, even if Jeff’s spacecraft had been destroyed on impact.

  She had just left the console to take a break when a voice came through the speaker.

  “Hello! Hey, you! Answer me.”

  She slid back into the seat, puzzled by the odd greeting. That wasn’t the kind of courtesy one received from robots. “Identify,” she answered cautiously.

  “I don’t have to identify unless I feel like it. This is the robot that knocked you two down. The Laws don’t apply to me.” He paused. “You know what I’m talking about?”

  “Jeff,” said Ariel excitedly. “Uh, hi. Where are you?”

  Weird robot laughter buzzed through the speaker. “You can’t fool me that easy. Say, how did you know my name? What’s your name: You’re pretty, as I recall.”

  “I’m Ariel.” She wanted to keep him talking and see if she could persuade him into coming in. If not, maybe he would slip up and say something that would give away his location. “Can I help you? What are you calling about?”

  “If you know my name, you must have talked to those robot doctors, huh? So you know how I got this way.”

  “Yes, and they told us you need to come in for your health. They didn’t finish the tests, and you don’t know how to take care of yourself yet. You left before they could explain.” She eyed the keyboard, wondering if she could have the central computer contact the medical team while she kept Jeff in conversation.

  “Oh, sure; I have to come in for my own good, right? Frost, I’m not that stupid.”

  “Jeff, what are you afraid of? They’re robots. They can’t do anything to harm you.” She started tapping the keys carefully, not wanting to make any noise he might hear.

  “Don’t let them fool you, kid. If they’re so helpful, why don’t they transplant you? You’d like it this way.

  So would your friend. What’s his name, anyhow?”

  “His name is Derec. What do you mean, why don’t they transplant me? They were trying to help you because you were injured in the crash when you landed. Why would I want to have my brain transplanted?” She continued on the keyboard.

  “They helped me, all right. Don’t you get it, Ariel? I like this. I’m better this way.”

  “Better? You mean you like having a robot body?” She stopped typing, shocked. “I thought you might be mad at them for doing this. You sound angry about something.”

  “Angry? Frost, what for? I’m the most powerful individual on this entire planet.”

  “What do you mean?” She completed entering the instruction for Derec and the medical team to return as fast as they could, and why. If they could intercept Jeff’s broadcast and eavesdrop, they should attempt that in the meantime. Triangulating on his beam and trapping him would be best of all.

  “What do I mean? Are you crazy? It’s obvious! I’m stronger than you or any other human, and I’m free of the Laws. Completely free of the
m! I have every physical advantage of a robot and every privilege of being human. I can do anything I want. Anything! Don’t you understand?” He was screaming now.

  She hesitated, surprised by the sound of a robot voice yelling at her in frustration. “I understand,” she said calmly. “It’s okay, Jeff. I understand.”

  “Do you?” He demanded suspiciously.

  “Sure. It makes sense. You’re unique. No one has ever lived the way you’re living now. You’re the very first. Uh, tell me what it’s like. It must be interesting.” Since she had no idea where Derec and the medical team were, she couldn’t estimate their time of arrival. All she could do was keep talking.

  “What it’s like?” He sounded surprised. “Well... it’s different. Very different. Everybody thinks I’m a robot, for one thing. You look like everybody else. No one knows who you are. Your body can do different things, too. For instance, you can see better and hear better and smell better. And you can sleep standing up.”

  She laughed. “What?”

  “Forget it,” he said brusquely. “Never mind that part. Forget I mentioned it.”

  “You like to sleep standing up?”

  “I said forget it!” He shouted. “Besides, any robot can do that. Stop, I mean, in a fixed position. They don’t sleep, of course. That’s all I meant. They can all do that, can’t they? Huh?”

  “Yes, they can. Take it easy. It’s okay.” She hesitated, realizing that she certainly couldn’t predict what would set him off on a tirade. “How old are you, Jeff?”

  “Uh — eighteen. Sort of. In this life, I’m just a couple days old.” He laughed, much too hard. Then he stopped abruptly. “Actually, I don’t know how long I had this body before I woke up. I have no birthday any more, not in this body.”

  “Eighteen? Really? I guess I thought you’d be older. Were you in school? I mean, before you got here.”

  She tried to sound as sympathetic as she could.

  “I was on my way to college,” he said quietly.

  She sensed that this was a sore subject, and dropped it. “Where are you from, Jeff?”

  “The planet Aurora.”

  “Really?” She said brightly. “I’m from Aurora, too, and I’m just a little younger than you are. In fact —”

  She hesitated, then decided to say it. “I’m Ariel Welsh.”

  “Ariel Welsh... really? The famous one?”

  “Well...” The reminder stung. “I guess so. Juliana Welsh is my mother.”

  “So this is where you wound up! Wow. I’m really talking to you? You were in all the news and everything.” Suddenly he sounded his age, and guileless.

  Ariel said nothing.

  “That does it,” he said firmly. “You order those robots to transplant you. You’re sick, right? Well, you won’t be sick in a robot body. Unless the infection has reached your brain, too, of course. So you tell them, all right? Then after that, you can join me.”

  Ariel was reeling. If it could work, it might stop the spread of the disease. Her body could be frozen while a cure was found, and she could go on living as a robot. Why hadn’t she thought of that?

  “Hey! You there? Hey, Ariel!” He yelled.

  Of course, she might have to stay on Robot City, in that case. Then again, as a robot, she would fit in a little better. No, much better. Nor would she feel that she was wasting her life here. The biological life expectancy of her body wouldn’t start up again until it was thawed out, whenever that could be arranged.

  Her brain would age normally if it was functioning in a robot body, but maybe the disease would not affect her brain, or at least not as fast. She could encourage the medical team to work on a cure. The First Law would require that, wouldn’t it?

  “You still there?” Jeff demanded.

  “Yes! Yes, I’m here. Don’t go — I’m interested.”

  “You are?” He sounded surprised again, then he recovered. “Of course you are! I knew you would be.

  It’s better this way. We can take over the city together. Now, how about Derec?”

  “Huh? What about him?”

  “The transplant, of course! Aren’t you listening to me? What’s wrong with you?”

  “He doesn’t have any reason to be transplanted.”

  “Of course he does! That’s what I’ve been telling you! He can see better, hear better, and all that. He’ll like it. And the three of us can take over the planet. The robots will have to obey us. Think of it — an entire planet at our disposal.”

  “I’m hot sure he’s going to see it that way.” She added to herself that Derec’s amnesia was in his mind.

  Transplanting his brain wouldn’t take care of that problem.

  “Of course he will. It’s easy to understand. He’ll get it.”

  “Why would we want to take over the planet?”

  “So it would be ours, of course. What kind of question is that? We could run it.”

  “Actually, the robots run it pretty well, don’t you think? Everything runs smoothly here.”

  “But it would be ours!”

  “But what would we do with it? What would be different? The robots would still do all the work, just like they do now.”

  “It would be ours! Don’t you understand? The entire planet would belong to us.”

  “Okay, Jeff, okay. But if nothing changes, those are just words. Ownership wouldn’t mean much, would it? The robots obey us already, so that won’t get any better.”

  “You’ll see! If you get this transplant, you’ll understand. Then you’ll find out, just like I did.”

  Ariel started to answer, then realized that the static had stopped: he was gone. She let out a deep breath, and sagged back in the chair with the release of tension. At this point, she didn’t mind having to wait a little while for the others to return. He had given her several things to think about.

  Derec was breathless when he ran into the room, followed by his concerned but calm robot companions. “Is he still on the line? I want to talk to him.”

  “Too late,” said Ariel. “I kept him on as long as I could, but I ran out of stuff to say.”

  “We overheard part of it, but not too much.”

  “He must have been using a very primitive radio set,” said Surgeon 2. “The quality of our reception varied greatly as we traveled through the city on our return trip.”

  “Do you know where he is?” Derec asked.

  “No. He was very suspicious, and, well, kind of strange.” She looked at the robots. “Was he like that before?”

  “Like what?” Research 1 asked.

  “He sounded almost paranoid. And he kept going through mood swings. One minute he’s laughing and the next minute he’s totally enraged. Then he forgets it all and makes ordinary conversation.” She shook her head. “It just wasn’t normal.”

  “No,” said Research 1. “He was not like that in the brief time he was awake with us.”

  “He was in a post-operative state at that time,” said Surgeon 1. “He was surprised, and perhaps shocked. Nor was he conscious when we first found him. His behavior during the brief time he was awake with us may not have been representative of his personality.”

  “You mean he might always have been erratic and emotionally unstable?” Derec asked.

  “Possibly,” said Research 1. “Our data is too limited for a sound conclusion.”

  “I have another theory,” said Ariel. “Do you think something is going wrong with him in some way?”

  “Clarify, please,” said Research 1.

  “Well, he’s been through a lot,” she pointed out. “And at times he sounded normal and friendly. He was on his way to college somewhere. If he got accepted off-planet, outside Aurora, he was probably a good student.”

  “Agreed,” said Derec. “You think the transplant has changed his personality, then.”

  They both turned to Research 1.

  “How likely is it?” Ariel asked.

  “This is possible. The odds cannot be calculated under
the circumstances.”

  “Well — what do you think might have gone wrong?” She decided not to express the reason for her new interest in the transplant right now.

  “Without precise medical data, I can offer two general possibilities. One is that the emotional shock of finding himself in a robot body has distressed him to the point of behavioral change. The second is that his brain is suffering from a chemical imbalance that has caused this problem. It might be nutritionally or hormonally based, or might indicate a flaw in our procedure or planning.”

  “Can you help him?” asked Ariel. “If we catch him, I mean. He doesn’t seem too far gone yet.”

  “That will depend on the precise nature of the problem, of course,” said Research 1.

  “We may have a full solution to the larger problem of Jeff, however,” said Surgeon 1. “With your cooperation, Derec.”

  “What? Mine?”

  “We are capable of intricate surgical techniques,” said Surgeon 1. “And we have a great deal of information of certain types regarding human physiology and medical care. However, we lack certain basic information regarding gross anatomy and some details of all kinds.”

  “I don’t know anything like that,” said Derec. “I don’t think it’s in the central computer, either.”

  “You don’t need to,” said Medical Research 1. “We need your body as a model.”

  Ariel stifled a laugh.

  “How so?” Derec asked carefully. “What do you mean, as a model?”

  “We need information regarding the complete physiology of a young human male, particularly regarding the arrangement of inner organs, in order to restore Jeff’s body to a healthy condition. Yours can act as a kind of map.”

  “Pardon me for asking this,” said Derec, “but exactly what do you need from me? In particular, uh....”

  “You will not be subjected to any risk,” said Research 1. “After all, the First Law would not permit risk in your case, as it did in Jeff’s. We have the ability to construct scanning systems that will tell us what we must know without surgical procedures or drugs.”

  Derec visibly relaxed. “Okay, sure. But we still have to get our hands on Jeff.”