Hereīs yet
another consideration of those famous Asimovīs Laws
of Robotics, as already explored in my first two collections of speculative
tales, FUTURE REASSURED & FUTURE UNCERTAIN. Both now obtainable from
AMAZON, or via my website: www.tonythorne.co.uk
BUGGY (C)2006 Tony Thorne MBE
Avram Seven-X1 was no ordinary robot, other than
the fact that it was programmed with Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics in the
usual way. It was however, the first of a new line that the company research
scientists had fitted with an extra pair of arms, joined to the middle of its
long body. These could be used as legs too by interchanging their hands for
feet. Even its normal hands could be swapped for feet if required, making it
into a very versatile crawling machine, designed primarily for use in difficult
terrains and various other hostile environments. The prototype was immediately
nicknamed Bug by some joker in the marketing department, for obvious reasons,
and the name stuck. Its six jointed legs, or arms, could be fitted with
alternative specialised feet, including versions
fitted with spikes, or suckers or even inflatable floats. The Bug could
therefore travel over all kinds of rugged ground including snow and ice, on
water, and even climb up vertical walls. Marketing soon got under way with the
emphasis on industrial applications, and very soon, after just a few
demonstrations backed up with a comprehensive video program, the orders began to
pour in. The Bug was definitely a big success.
Then one dark night the Louie Giotto gang raided
a, carelessly guarded, warehouse and managed to steal one of them; actually the
thirty-seventh model off the production line. It was still secured in its crate,
having only just been delivered to a mining company that day. Louie had a
discredited scientist, Kurt Schneider, in his gang, who claimed he knew
something about robots. He had told his chief that although they couldn't harm
humans or allow themselves to be harmed, unless they were protecting somebody,
there were certain things they probably could do which Louie might find
interesting. A robot had to obey the orders given to it by a human, providing
what was requested didn't violate any of Asimovīs
Three Laws. He explained these to his chief and then outlined a couple of
useful, but legal, orders they could give to a robot. Finally, he mentioned
that he knew where they could get one. Louie listened carefully, was
immediately intrigued by the idea, and so the heist was soon under way.
Bug 37's crate was brought secretly to the gang's hideout in a large van and
unloaded. Rudi Donner, the handyman member of the
gang decoded the seal on the crate and opened it. Then before anyone could stop
him, he leaned over and pressed the big power button on the robot's chest. Its
eyes lit up immediately. Kurt pushed Rudi away angrily and then took over. He
connected the Bug 37 to his laptop computer, and was soon studying the
programming menu that appeared on his screen. It took him some time to select
what was wanted, involving many clicks on the vast list of FAQ prompts. Finally
though, he was able to activate the imposing robot and start negotiating with
it.
After a few mentally exhausting hours he had the machine successfully aware
that its owner was now one Louie Giotto, who must be
obeyed at all times. Louie was delighted, when he
tried out a few simple commands such as pick that thing up, smash up this,
bring me that over there. All of which were obeyed perfectly. Then Louie
decided to try out what it wouldnīt do. He handed the
robot a gun and told it to shoot Rudi, the oldest member of the gang, who had
been rather annoying lately. Naturally it wouldn't, but that fortunate gang
member got the message and his behaviour immediately
improved. Louie was impressed.
The next evening, Louie, Kurt and Rudi drove to a large solitary building on
the other side of town, with Buggy (as they called him
now) back in his crate in their van. They had already spent the afternoon telling
it what they wanted it to do later, after the journey. Making sure nobody was
around, and leaving Rudi to keep watch, they opened the crate and Kurt
activated the robot. It sat up, climbed out into the road and then waited.
Louie crossed his fingers and gave it the go ahead. It promptly opened up a
storage chamber in its wide body and proceeded to attach, and activate, six
sucker attachments to its feet. Soon after it began to, noisily, squelch itself
up the wall of the building.
To be continued ...