Free Mask by C.C. Kelly Page A

would say immediately, depending upon the success of your field testing.”
    “Perfect, they are performing beyond specifications.  You’ll be awarded the People’s Cross for this, secretly of course, but still quite an honor,” Donahue said through his grim smile.
    “Well, good sir, let us not get carried away with our success just yet.  I am in no need of personal honors or commendations.  However, I do encourage the good congressman here to ensure that our, ah – compensation remains unfettered.”  He smiled broadly to Congressman Needly.
    Congressman Needly smiled back, enthused and then his face changed, denoting that he had had a thought.  “What about military applications?  I could save a lot of my constituency’s families if we could deploy the Gammas instead of soldiers.  I lose over a thousand voters every month, a thousand!  I think we should make news of the Gammas public.”
    “No, I am afraid that would be most unseemly and not do at all.  The automated drone misfires over Houston are still far too fresh in people’s consciousness.  The public is not ready for the Gamma Series, Betas or any other robot, I dare say.  We have used the expression ‘automated assistants’ for Project Ghost to calm the fears of our more timid citizenry.  The scientists working on the Project, of course, know that the mission depends on the Gamma Series being deployable, but the people?  No, that would constitute a public relations, how should I say – nightmare and could set back the launch of Aquarius by years.”
    “That thing over Houston was five years ago and Washington is in charge of the Aquarius, not the,” he waved off handedly, “the people.”
    “The accidental homicide of thirty-four thousand citizens and soldiers in Christ’s Army was a harsh tragedy and the resulting psychological trauma is proving difficult to expunge.  And of course, any complication or investigations or additional inspections would most assuredly be grounds for prohibitive delays on the Project, delays that would certainly run contrary to your reelection devices.  I believe losing that many jobs could even have a strong negative impact upon the entire Party.”
    “Besides, the Gammas can’t function as soldiers,” Sorenson said.
    “If they are launching nukes, they are soldiers,” the congressman stated as a matter of fact.
    “No, no, you do not understand.  The Gammas in the silos are unaware of the consequences of their protocols.  We know they are launching missiles; they are simply programmed to initiate the launch sequence.  If they knew of the intercontinental ballistic missiles and the rather obvious consequences of completing the assigned tasks, the program would be a total failure.”
    The congressman looked at Vincent quizzically.
    “We lie to them,” Sorenson said.
    “Lie?”
    “The truth would interfere with the Three Laws of Robotics.”
    “The three laws?”
    “Asimov,” Sorenson said.
    “Asimov was a science fiction writer from the mid to late twentieth century.  He came up with the Three Laws of Robotics that govern the behavior of robots,” Director Vincent said.  Needly’s blank stare encouraged him to continue.  “The First Law states that a robot cannot harm a human being or through inaction allow a human to be harmed.  If we told the Gammas in the silos what they were truly doing, they would be unable to complete the assigned tasks, understand?”
    “I suppose, but why can’t robots harm humans?  How can we use them for hunting terrorists and fighting our wars if we don’t let them kill people, especially terrorist people?  This makes no sense.  Why do we care what some writer said a century ago?”
    “We care because he was a genius!” Doctor Sorenson hissed.
    “Mr. Needly, please attempt to comprehend this scenario.  If we were to, as you suggest, arm a platoon of Gammas, and then, continuing with your assertion, give them orders to kill humans, which humans