Robot Dreams

Ross said nothing.

John said, coolly, "Is my resignation being requested?"

"Get out of here!"

"With my job? Or without it?"

Ross said, "You have your job." His face was a study in hatred.

Susan had arranged a di

She said, with an attempt at heartiness, " After all, we are celebrating the last nine days of single blessedness."

"We are celebrating more than that," said John with a grim smile. "It’s only four days since I got the the disinhibitor and already I’ve been able to put Ross in his place. He’ll never bother me again."

"We each seem to have our own notion of sentiment," said Susan. "Tell me the details of your tender remembrance."

John told the tale crisply, repeating the conversation verbatim and without hesitation.

Susan listened stonily, without in any way rising to the gathering triumph in John’s voice. "How did you know all that about Ross?"

John said, "There are no secrets, Sue. Things just seem secret because people don’t remember. If you can recall every remark, every comment, every stray word made to you or in your hearing and consider them all in combination, you find that everyone gives himself away in everything. You can pick out meanings that will, in these days of computerization, send you straight to the necessary records. It can be done. I can do it. I have done it in the case of Ross. I can do it in the case of anybody with whom I associate."

"You can also get them furious."

"I got Ross furious. You can bet on that."

"Was that wise?"

"What can he do to me? I’ve got him cold."

"He has enough clout in the upper echelons – "

"Not for long. I have a conference set for 2 P.M. tomorrow with old man Prescott and his stinking cigar and I’ll cut Ross off at the pass."

"Don’t you think you’re moving too quickly?"

"Moving too quickly? I haven’t even begun. Prescott’s just a stepping-stone. Quantum Pharmaceutical’s just a stepping-stone."

"It’s still too quick, Joh

"I need nothing. With what I have," he tapped his temple, "there’s no one and nothing that can stop me."

Susan said, "Well, look, let’s not discuss that. We have different plans to make."

"Plans?"

"Our own. We’re getting married in just under nine days. Surely" – with heavy irony – "you haven’t returned to the sad old days when you forgot things."

"I remember the wedding," said John, testily, "but at the moment I’ve got to reorganize Quantum. In fact, I’ve been thinking seriously of postponing the wedding till I have things well in hand."

"Oh? And when might that be?"

"That’s hard to tell. Not long at the rate I’m taking hold. A month or two, I suppose. Unless," and he descended into sarcasm, "you think that’s moving too quickly."

Susan was breathing hard. "Were you pla

John raised his eyebrows. "Would it have been necessary? Where’s the argument? Surely you see what’s happening. We can’t interrupt it and lose momentum. Listen, did you know I’m a mathematical wiz? I can multiply and divide as fast as a computer because at some time in my life I have come across almost every simple bit of arithmetic and I can recall the answers. I read a table of square roots and I can – "

Susan cried, "My God, Joh

John scowled. "Do I? It seems to me that I’m getting what I want."

"Are you? Isn’t it true that I’m what you want also?"

"What?"

"Go ahead, Joh

John, with his forehead still creased in uncertainly, extended his arms toward Susan.

She stepped out of them. "But you haven’t got me, or anything about me. You can’t remember me into your arms; you have to love me into them. The trouble is, you don’t have the good sense to do it and you lack the intelligence to establish reasonable priorities. Here, take this and get out of my apartment or I’ll hit you with something a lot heavier."

He stopped to pick up the engagement ring. "Susan – "

"I said, get out. The firm of Joh

Her face blazed anger and John turned meekly and left.

When he arrived at Quantum the next morning, Anderson was waiting for him with a look of anxious impatience on his face.

"Mr. Heath," he said, smiling and rising.

"What do you want?" demanded John.

"We are private here, I take it?"

"The place isn’t bugged as far as I know."

"You are to report to us day after tomorrow for examination. On Sunday. You recall that?"

"Of course, I recall that. I’m incapable of not recalling. I am capable of changing my mind, however. Why do I need an examination?"

"Why not, sir? It is quite plain from what Kupfer and I have picked up that the treatment seems to have worked splendidly. Actually, we don’t want to wait till Sunday. If you can come with me today – now, in fact – it would mean a great deal to us, to Quantum, and, of course, to humanity."

John said, curtly, "You might have held on to me when you had me. You sent me about my business, allowing me to live and work unsupervised so that you could test me under field conditions, and get a better idea of how things would work out. It meant more risk for me, but you didn’t worry about that, did you?"

"Mr. Heath, that was not in our minds. We – "

"Don’t tell me that. I remember every last word you and Kupfer said to me last Sunday, and it’s quite clear to me that that was in your minds. So if I take the risk, I accept the benefits. I have no intention of presenting myself as a biochemical freak who has achieved my ability at the end of a hypodermic needle. Nor do I want others of the sort wandering around. For now, I have a monopoly and I intend to use it. When I’m ready – not before – I will be willing to cooperate with you and benefit humanity. But just remember, I’m the one who will know when I’m ready, not you. So don’t call me; I’ll call you."

Anderson managed a soft smile. "As to that, Mr. Heath, how can you stop us from making our a

"Really? See here, Anderson, listen closely and do so without that foolish grin on your face. It irritates me. I told you I remember every word you and Kupfer spoke. I remember every nuance of expression, every sidelong glance. It all spoke volumes. I learned enough to check through sick-leave records with a good idea of what I was looking for. It would seem that I was not the first Quantum employee on whom you had tried the disinhibitor."

Anderson was, indeed, not smiling. "That is nonsense."

"You know it is not, and you had better know I can prove it. I know the names of the men involved – one was a woman, actually – and the hospitals in which they were treated and the false history with which they were supplied. Since you did not warn me of this, when you used me as your fourth experimental animal on two legs, I owe you nothing but a prison sentence."