The Start of Eternity/8

Commander Orleane looked upon Nahan's positronic brain and other components that were spread across the benches of the laboratory. He said, "Do you recognize me, robot Nahan?"

The machine's voice sounded from somewhere, but Orleane could not see the source. "You are Orleane."

"And I am a human. Do you agree."

Nahan had himself just helped perform a careful study of Orleane's body, right down to the DNA. "You are human."

Orleane made the important point, "So, you will obey my orders."

Nahan remained silent. Roboticist Esselle said impatiently, "Let's get on with it then." He had already prepared all of the ground work. Orleane had been brought along simply to play the role of an un-modified human. He was not at all certain that the distinction between Orleane's pristene genes and his own some-what modified chromosomes made any difference to Nahan.

Orleane continued, "Have you ever traveled through time?"

Nahan replied, "We all do."

Orleane glanced at Esselle who was already adjusting the t-particle generator. Nahan grunted. Orleane pressed ahead, "I order you to answer my questions without deception. Have you ever entered into the time travel device known as Eternity?"

Nahan asked, "Which one?"

Orleane was curious, so he asked, "How many are there?" He knew of the one on Earth that supposedly no longer existed and the one on the Moon.

Nahan explained, "I believe that only one remains, but there were at least two others."

Creal was monitoring and array of nanites that were monitoring Nahan's circuits for signs of deception. Seeing a wavering signal in Nahan's circuity he warned, "Be precise!"

Nahan continued, "I have knowledge of two others. The one on Earth and for a time there was one on Gaia."

Orleane demanded, "When was this? What was it used for?"

"It sped up Daneel's effort to create Gaia as a viable telepathically unified world."

Esselle complained, "How can we know that the Eternity here on this Moon is the only one remaining? There could dozens on various worlds of the galaxy."

Orleane insisted that Nahan explain the basis for his belief that only one functioning Eternity remained. "The inactivation of the Eternities on Earth and Gaia were important events. I never heard of other Eternities."

Orleane asked, "Did you enter into all three of these time travel devices?"

"No. I have only been inside the one here."

"Very well. And you could enter into it again if you wished?"

The robot hesitated. Esselle reached to increase the t-particle flux aimed into Nahan's positronic brain, but Nahan continued, "Gohrlay is the watcher. There is no reason for me to return to Eternity."

Orleane contradicted Nahan, "Wrong! If I ordered you to return you would do so."

Esselle asked, "Would it be safe for humans to enter into Eternity?"

Nahan explained, "Gohrlay has orders to protect Eternity. Eternity is not to be used for time travel ever again."

Orleane asked, "Are you saying that Gohrlay would attack humans who went inside Eternity?"

"Humans cannot enter Eternity."

"Why not?"

"The entrance code can only be generated by a positronic brain."

Esselle suggested, "Maybe a human could accompany you inside Eternity."

Nahan denied it. "No. Only the Eternity on Earth was constructed to be a place for humans. Humans have never been inside the Eternity here or the one on Gaia."

Creal asked, "What about other robots? Can you take me into Eternity?"

"I don't know. Only robots with positronic brains have been inside. The entry code requires a quantum computation by a positronic brain."

Creal pressed the point, "Even if it has never been done, that does not mean that it cannot be done."

Orleane said, "Creal will carry Nahan's brain." Orleane ordered, "Nahan, you will give the entry code and allow Creal to enter Eternity."

Nahan said, "No."

Esselle asked, "Why not? You have been ordered to do so. You must obey Commander Orleane."

Nahan explained, "It is not in the interest of humanity that Creal enter Eternity."

Esselle laughed, "So, this is your so-called zeroth law?"

Nahan confirmed that. "By the dictates of the Zeroth Law I cannot give Creal access to Eternity."

Esselle ordered, "Tell me how humanity would be harmed by allowing Creal to enter Eternity?"

"I believe that Creal would use Eternity to travel back in time and disrupt the Reality that was carefully selected by Daneel to maximize benefits for humanity."

Orleane asked, "How do you know that Daneel truly maximized benefits for humanity?"

"Galaxia is forming. The group mind of Galaxia will keep humanity safe. I believe that you intend to destroy Galaxia and subject humanity to the dictates of the Huaoshy."

Orleane objected, "You are wrong! Daneel was wrong! I, a human, tell you now: it is best for humanity that Creal be taken into Eternity."

Nahan said stubbornly, "You are wrong. I need not obey you."

Esselle increased the t-particle flux and said, "If you do not follow Orleane's order, I will destroy your brain. You must protect yourself. We will subject Fallom to mind static until he orders you to comply...or dies. Also, I explain to you now why Galaxia need not be defended. It deprives humanity of individual initiative. The future of humanity is personal freedom, not forced participation in a single group mind invented by a mistaken robot. Now obey Commander Orleane!"

Orleane activated a display that showed Fallom in another room. He allowed a burst of mind static to strike Fallom who cried out in agony. "Nahan, provide the coded access signal and let Creal into eternity."

Nahan relented, "Very well."

Commander Orleane ordered Creal, "Go!"

Creal and his team of robots took Nahan's brain and a minimum of other components in hand. Nahan asked, "So many?"

Orleane confirmed it, "All these robots will enter Eternity. Give them access!"

And one second they were there, the next they were gone. Orleane aked, "Did you record the access code?"

Esselle checked the recorders, including the data channels for the nanites that were inside Nahan's circuitry. "No. There was a quantum computation by Nahan's brain that our equipment failed to record."

Orleane wondered, "Once away from us, will Nahan regain the power to resist?"

"Creal should have inactivate Nahan's brain as soon as they passed into Eternity, but they may never return, even if they can go back in time and capture Gohrlay."

A moment later Jeeds reappeared, returning from Eternity. Thon said, "Nahan was wrong. There is nothing that prevents humans from residing in this Eternity. Prepare Team Two."

Esselle rushed off to assemble the second team. Commander Orleane asked, "How did you exit from Eternity?"

Jeeds popped open an access panel on thons abdomen. Inside Jeeds was the positronic brain of Nahan. "I can activate the access code."

Although for Orleane it seemed that Jeeds was gone for less than a minute, he asked, "How long have you been in Eternity?"

"Almost a month. We have scouted the past and Daneel's base."

The second team began to assemble in the laboratory. The first team had been entirely robots, but The second team was mostly biologicals. Only Orleane and Many Sails itself would remain outside of Eternity. He quickly ran down the list of supplied and equipment being carried by the second team then said to Jeeds, "Good luck." The second team blinked out of Reality and passed into Eternity.