Robouniversum (Isaac Asimov)

It made no sense to describe a sound as lonely, but that was the word that came to Lije as he held the flimsy sheet. It was no bigger than a clock-display, and showed a crude animation; a child's stick-figure drawing come to life. Now and then, it made a soft squeak.

"This belonged to the victim?"

The neighbor, a dour-faced woman, shrugged. "He said it was some kinda robo-pet, like them rich kids have." She snorted. "Look at it!" 

Lije did. The dead man had no family, no friends. We'll find your father's killer, he told the flickering creature. 

They had been walking in silence for several minutes when Lije finally spoke. "Your shoes," he said, aware of the bluntness with which the line was delivered.

Daneel paused. "To what are you referring, Partner Elijah?"

"You took them off. When we entered the apartment."

"Is that not the custom?"

"It is." He shrugged. "I thought maybe... they were part of you?" It sounded ridiculous, spoken out loud. "You don't need them, after all."

"I also wear clothes, though I do not need them."

"Fair point. I-"

"I can take them off too, if-"

"No." Lije kept walking, face flushed.

He'd always known it was up there, in theory. There were the solarium levels, for one, but the deeper implications hereof; that the sunlight came from somewhere, much less the nature of that somewhere did not bear contemplating.

Knowing, however, changed all of that.

Lije had seen the sun, not through the safe, dull refraction of upper-level quartz, but naked, without protection. And beyond that still, across endless and terrifying nothingness... was Daneel.

Across the breakfast table (such unimaginable luxury), Jessie looked at him askew. "Something on your mind?"

Lips twitching, Lije shrugged. "Sorry. Got my head in the clouds."

There were no casinos on Solaria. Such a thing would be considered both perverse - crowds of people - and absurd. What point was there to gambling in a world where all needs were met?

Still, Spacers apparently played cards. Lije had discovered an ornate deck in his enormous bedroom, and was finishing a game against a near-featureless house robot when Daneel entered.

"I win again," Lije chuckled.

"It will win, if you ask it to," Daneel said.

"That's not-"

"If it pleases you," Daneel suggested, "we could play."

Would that make a difference? Lije glanced at his hand. "Pair of hearts."

Earth had not gotten smaller, Lije knew that. But there was knowing and then there was... knowing. He had taken to staying at work until the cleaning staff arrived, at which point he would force himself out the door and onto the last train home.

It was full, of course; they all were. The city lived in shifts, which had never bothered him before. He always got a seat, and could eat in the privacy of his own home. What luxuries.

As he stepped out, the city closed around him. A comfort, before. Now?

Empty for the lack of him.

Daneel was staring. Lije tried to ignore it, but it was hard when a perfectly formed figure of a man was watching you with that absolute, inhuman calm.

"Elijah? You haven't selected a drink."

"Yeah, I know. There are too many options." So many drinks, and none of them alcoholic. How did Spacers stand it?

"I would have thought you would welcome the variety. Earth has a limited selection."

"Yeah, that's what makes it hard."

"I do not understand."

Of course he didn't. He was a robot. When did he ever have to make agonizing choices?

Daneel kept watching, silently.

Nechte toho! Nejsem úspěšný, majetek jsem zdědil. A nejsem žádný světec.
Výbuch na základně Whisper jsme přežili jen dva. Mně byly čtyři. Za patnáct let, než dorazila záchranná jednotka, mi můj pečovatel dokonale vštípil několik zásad.
V praxi jsem si je mohl vyzkoušet, až když jsme se odtamtud dostali.
Být ohleduplný.
Nepřihlížet nečinně utrpení.
Starat se o druhé víc než o sebe.
Ale o sebe se starat taky pečlivě.
Poslouchat dobré rady.
Jistě, šel mi příkladem. Jenže se řídil přísnějšími pravidly.
Ne, nebyl to člověk.
Ale řeknu vám, kdyby lidé převzali něco ze zákonů robotiky, byl by svět lepším místem!