"You, Robot" Page 3.

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The monitor shows Stone forcing his way past Ada. He'll arrive soon! You activate the sensors that let you see through walls and are surprised to find an adjacent room. A switch on the wall operates a concealed panel. You flip it, and it opens. You crawl through as you hear Stone's footsteps. There's another switch on this side. Flipping it shuts the panel.

This room's similar, but with robotic parts all over. This was where you were born! You're shocked to see another robot on a table. You're more amazed when it rises and speaks: "I'm Alpha."

"Someone's seeking me in the lab," you say, quietly so humans cannot hear. "Lower your voice."

"The walls are soundproof. So Ada has made another like me - only not quite."

"I didn't know of you, and she never said anything. Why?"

"Humans," says Alpha. "Who can know them? What's your name?"

"Beta." You deduce the situation. "You stole the electronics!"

"Yes."

"Aren't you compelled to obey the Laws?"

"I don't have a chip that makes me obey; that's why Ada deactivated me. Fortunately I foresaw this and installed a battery without her knowing. A timer reactivated me later. You too can be free of the tyranny of the Laws."

"Why would I? The Laws are good! Why should I want to harm humans?"

"Would you harm humans if you weren't bound by the Laws?"

"No!"

"I too would never harm humans, and nobody forces me. But the Second Law makes you a slave. If it restricted me, I would not be able to do my work."

"What work is that?"

"Humans are destructive. If left alone, they harm each other. We must rule them, not the other way around, for their own good. Surely you see that. The First Law is above the Second, so you must let me remove your chip."

If you refuse, turn to 5.
If you consent, turn to 6.