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I went rigid. She drifted to the center of the room. Shortly after Traven was strong enough to walk he had to be rescued from the blocks for a second time. Osborne became less conciliatory. It almost seems that the trend is to using the label when it seems helpful, and omitting it when it does not. One hesitates to make any assumption of such widespread sanity, but the magazine situation almost requires it. Some readers, and most writers, will already have noticed that thisAnnual contains no Honorable Mentions listing. For the last two or three years, the attempt to compile such a list has been increasingly frustrating. The diffusion is too great: Even if it were within my powers to be certain I have seen everything entitled to consideration in a given year, I no longer know where to draw the line. No!Quiet, Martha! Cordice choked. His front collapsed. Brumm did it all. Kill him and let usgo!” He twisted in his bonds. Yes, said Ian. Yes, and I owe him a lot. Hes given me encouragement when I needed it most. Without him, I wouldn’t ever have thought of having this show in New York. The first robots were pretty shoddyBack in the Seventies.They were uncoordinated and clumsyAnd they thought too slowlyAnd they didnt understand more than a few simple wordsAnd they would wash a dish to a powderIf you didn’t stop them in time.So in August of 1978Arthur Chumley called in the Product Development GroupOf Chumley RobotAnd in they cameWith the latest model.It clanked over to Arthur ChumleyAnd saidHello (klik) Mister (klik) Chumley (klik).And put out its hand.But before Arthur Chumley could shake the handIt had knocked over a gilded bust of himBadly denting the halo.“This is not good,”Said Arthur Chumley.“We must think, we must draw, we must work“To build the More Perfect Robot.“Build me a robot“That does everything our present model does“But has none of its clumsy, uncoordinated movements.“And while you’re at it“Knock its weight down to two hundred kilos.”And he chased them all out of his officeAnd he looked at the sales graphAnd he poured himself a bourbon-and-water.Easy on the water.A year and two months laterIn October of 1979The Product Development Group marched in proudlyWith their robot.It walked smoothly and gracefully over to Arthur ChumleyAnd said“Hello (klik) Mister (klik) Chumley (klik),”And held out its handWhich Arthur Chumley shook.“Make me a Chumley Martini,”Said Arthur Chumley.But the robot did not make him a Chumley Martini.Instead, it said“(Whir) (buzz) (klik) (whir) (klik) (buzz) (paf!)”And blew a $4.79 pentode tubeSignifying Arthur Chumley had said something beyond its grasp.Whereupon Arthur Chumley leaned backAnd folded his pudgy hands over the convenient ledgeMade by his stomachAnd said“This is not good.“We must think, we must draw, we must work“To build the More Perfect Robot.“Build me a robot“That does everything our present model does“And has a complete working vocabulary“To fit its particular function.“And while you’re at it“Get rid of that damn (klik) it makes switching tapes.”And he chased them all out of his officeAnd he looked at the sales graphAnd he made himself a Chumley Martini:Three ounces of gin in a cocktail glassAnd smiled at the portrait of Martini& Rossi.Six years and six months laterIn April of 1986The Product Development Group trooped inWith their robot.It walked over to Arthur ChumleyAnd said“Good morning, Mister Chumley.”And Arthur Chumley turned to the Product Development GroupAnd said“Do you know what’s going to happen if we market this thing?”And the Group members all quiveredAnd shook their headsAnd the robot said it did not.“I’ll tell you what’s going to happen if we market this thing,”Said Arthur Chumley.“The entire American public is going to laugh at us“If we market this thing.“And do you know why?”And the Group members all quiveredAnd shook their headsAnd the robot said it did not.“I’ll tell you why.“Because they have a right to laugh at a company“That markets a robot“That says Good morning’ at four-thirty in the afternoon.”Said Arthur Chumley.And he sat down at his deskAnd put his head in his handsAnd said“This is not good.“We must think, we must draw, we must work“To build the More Perfect Robot.“Build me a robot“That does everything our present model does“And can see“And smell“And hear“And taste“And feel.“And while you’re at it“Cover it with a soft, fleshlike substance“So it looks like a human being.“And just for the hell of it“Give it the ability to perceive a person’s emotional state“From his actions“And know how to act accordingly.”And he had a vice-president throw them all out of his officeAnd he looked at the sales graphAnd he went to the liver bank.Twenty-two years and eleven months laterIn March of 1999The Product Development Group snivelled inWith their robot.It seated the Group ChairmanRemarking about how cold it had been last night.Then it walked over to Arthur ChumleyAnd held out its soft, fleshlike handWhich Arthur Chumley ignored.Somewhat disconcertedThe robot said“How are you, Mister Chumley?”Whereupon Arthur Chumley replied“Miserable. My wife had an affair with my best friendAnd my servants have run off with my planeAnd all my clothes.”And the robot smiledAnd said“You’re joking, Mister Chumley.”And Arthur Chumley leaned forwardAnd said“You’re right. I’m joking.”And Arthur Chumley turned to the Product Development GroupAnd said“I am proud of you.“I gave you a very difficult task:“To build the More Perfect Robot.“But you did it.“And now I will give you an even more difficult task:“To buildThe Perfect Robot.“Build me a robot that is a companion.“Build me a robot that is a friend.“Build me a robot that can feel emotion“And can pass for human“And that, gentlemen, will be The Perfect Robot.”And he dismissed them from his officeAnd he looked at the sales graphAnd he smiledFor he knew that in a few yearsThe Group would present him with The Perfect Robot.And they didEarly in the May of 2039.Seven years and six months after thatIn December of 2046The people from Beta Centaurus IV came.They didn’t invadeThey just cameAnd they’re our very best friends now.They were interested in our technologyAnd one dayArthur Chumley was talking to one of them in his office.They picked up the language rather quickly.He was telling itAbout the timeAnd moneyAnd effort they had expendedTo build a robotThat had smooth, agile movementsAnd weighed only two hundred kilosAnd had a complete working vocabularyTo fit its particular functionAnd made no damn (klik) switching tapesAnd could seeAnd smellAnd hearAnd tasteAnd feelAnd was covered with a soft, fleshlike substanceAnd could perceive a person’s emotional stateAnd act accordinglyAnd was a companion and a friendAnd could feel emotionAnd could pass for human.Whereupon the Centurian said“He can’t do much of anything you can’t do.“Why not just hire people to do the same things?”And Arthur Chumley chuckledAnd leaned back And opened his mouthTo tell the Centurian why not.And then he closed his mouthAnd excused himselfAnd went downstairsAnd hailed a cabAnd went homeAnd dashed off a few notes to his wife and brokerAnd packed four suitcases with stocks and bonds and moneyAnd closed out all his bank accountsAnd went to the spaceportAnd chartered a small shipAnd disappeared. ... Jed got up and hurried to the firing line. In the tower, the phone began ringing and the radio and telephone operators began reporting the equipment trouble theyd been having. On the road, one of the truck drivers halfheartedly stepped on the starter for the tenth time. The engine roared to life. The other drivers stopped and stared, then climbed down from fenders and front bumpers and tried their own starters. The trucks and their puzzled drivers left.Firing resumed. Patrick twisted his mustache nervously. "However you state it, we wind up with no chance of a patent. Maybe we can live with that. Perhaps we can forego a patent-based monopoly. But theres one thing wemust have— and thats the right to build the plant, free and clear from interference or infringement of anybody else's patent. Can we tell the Board we have that right? The Board wants to know. They're going to vote on it Monday. And I don't think we can tell them anything ... not yet. The economics and market are there. Everything hangs on the patent situation. Bleeker says the vote will be to build, if the patent picture is clear. We're holding the whole thing up in our shop right here." He turned back to Cord. "Alec, take it from the college thesis. Run the variations off from that." "Listen to limpy," Monica said. Son, said his father, are you falling?” 1960 was the year for breakthroughs and breakdowns in communications. The most dramatic to my mind (afterOzma) was the device called the “People-Machine” built by an outfit called Simulmalics, Inc., the machine is a conventional IBM 704; but programmed with a—sensationally —unconventional “mathematical model of the United States electorate,” distilled from thousands of pollsters files. Designed by a Director of Columbia’s Bureau of Applied Social Research and a Yale psychologist, the machine’s first job was for the Democratic campaign committee In the Presidential election. When he had searched above the lake, he searched the mountain between the lake and the forests. Then he searched through the forests and crossed the river and searched the grass lands beyond the river and the dry plains beyond the grass lands. Finally he came to the end of the dry plains and faced the ocean. As he wandered along the beach, he came-upon a sign—footprints in the sand: Lad]/ Gorilla footprints, Lotuss footprints. Is that so? Carlos said..
