Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven Underground World

Trevize felt his whole body stiff, and he tried to maintain normal breathing while turning his head to look at Baoqisi. She stood there with her arms around Pelorat's waist, apparently quite calm and composed.She smiled slightly, and nodded again with a slight movement. Trevize turned to face Bender again.He interpreted Baoqisi's reaction as a sign of confidence and desperately hoped that his guess was correct.He said sullenly, "How do you do it, Bender?" Bender smiled, obviously in a good mood. "Tell me, little alien, do you believe in magic? Do you believe in magic?"

"No, we don't believe it, little Solari," Trevize retorted. Bao Qisi pulled Trevize's sleeve vigorously, and whispered: "Don't mess with him, he is very dangerous." "I can see it." Trevize barely lowered his voice, "Then, think of a way." Bliss said in a barely audible voice, "Not yet. If he feels safe, he will be less dangerous." Bender completely ignored the brief language spoken by these aliens.It turned and left, and the robots made way for it. Then it turned its head again, curling a finger lazily. "Come on, come with me, all three of you. I'm going to tell you a story that maybe you won't be interested in, but I'll have fun with." It walked on leisurely.

For a moment, Trevize remained where he was, unsure of the best course of action.But Bliss had already moved forward, and Pelorat was also pulled away by her.At last Trevize moved, or he would be left here alone with the robots. Bao Qisi said softly: "If Bender is so kind, willing to tell a story that we may not be interested in..." Bender turned around and looked at Bao Qisi intently, as if he had really noticed her existence. "You're the female half," it said, "isn't it? The lesser half?" "The smaller half, Bender." "Then the other two are male demisexuals?"

"They are." "Have you ever had a child, female?" "My name is Bliss, Bender, and I haven't had a baby yet. This is Trevize, and this is Pei." "When it's time for you to have a baby, which of the two males will help you? Both? Or neither?" "Bae will help me, Bender." Bender turned his attention to Pelorat. "You have gray hair, I can see it." "I do," said Pelorat. "Has it always been that color?" "No, Bender, that's what happens when you get older." "So how old are you?" Quasi-year. "

Bender continued walking (towards a distant mansion, Trevize imagined), but at a slower pace.It said, "I don't know how long a galactic standard year is, but I'm sure it's not too different from ours. How old will you be when you die, Bae?" "I dare not say that I may live another thirty years." "Then eighty-two years, short-lived, and split in two, unbelievable. My distant ancestors were like you, and lived on Earth—but then some left Earth, and formed new worlds around other stars , they are good worlds, well organized, and plentiful." Trevize said loudly: "Not many, only fifty."

Bender cast his haughty eyes on Trevize, and it seemed that his mood was not as good as before. "Trevize, is that your name?" "My full name is Glenn Trevize. I said there are only fifty in the outer world, but our world has tens of millions." "So, do you know what story I want to tell you?" Bender said softly. "If the story is that there were fifty outer worlds in the past, then we already know that." "We don't just count numbers, little half-sex people," Bender said, "we also measure quality. Although there are only fifty, the sum of your tens of millions of worlds is not worth any of them. And Solari It was the fiftieth, and therefore the best. Solari was as far ahead of the other outer worlds as they were of Earth.

"Only we Solari have figured out how to live. We don't pack in packs like the animals that do on Earth, on other worlds, and even on other outer worlds. Every Solari Living alone, with many robots helping us, seeing each other through electronic devices at any time, but very rarely actually seeing each other. The last time I saw a real person, as I see you now, was many years ago. However, you are only half-sexed, so your presence, like cows or robots, does not hinder my freedom. "However, we were also neutral people before. At that time, no matter how much we increased our individual freedom; no matter how much we developed our solitary life and commanded countless robots, our freedom was still not absolute. Because, in order to produce the next generation, we must borrow The cooperation of two individuals. Of course, we can provide sperm cells and egg cells separately, so that the fertilization process and the subsequent embryonic growth process can be carried out manually and automatically. As for the baby, it can also grow under the perfect care of the robot. Those problems can be solved, but demisexuals don't want to give up the pleasure that comes with natural fertilization. Evil attachment develops, and freedom disappears. Can't you see that this has to change?"

Trevize said, "No, Bender, because we measure freedom the same way you do." "That's because you don't know what freedom is. You have lived in groups, and the way you know it is to be constantly forced to submit to the will of others, even in the smallest things; To fight against each other, to compel others to submit to one's will, is an equally despicable act. How can there be freedom in this way? There is no freedom if one cannot live as one wants! Freedom is literally doing what one wants! "Later, the people on Earth once again expanded outwards in groups, once again sticking together in groups and spinning around in space. Although the people from other worlds did not live in groups like the people on Earth, that was only a difference in level. At that time, they used to In an attempt to compete with the Earthlings.

"We Solarians did not do that. We foresaw the doomed failure of herds. We migrated underground, cut off from all ties to the rest of the galaxy. We were determined to preserve our way of life at any cost. We developed Appropriate robots and weapons of all kinds to defend our seemingly empty surface; planet is seen as abandoned and gradually forgotten, which is exactly what we intended. "Meanwhile, we in the Underworld struggled to solve our own problems. We carefully tuned our genetics through sophisticated technology. We had many failures, but we also had some successes, and we made good use of the results of our successes. This It took us centuries to finally become full-sexed people, integrating the essence of male and female into one, and being able to obtain the ultimate pleasure at will. When we intend to have offspring, we can produce fertilized eggs at any time, and then handed over to skilled Robots take care."

"Androgynous," said Pelorat. "Is it called that in your language?" Bender asked casually. "I've never heard the term." "Hermaphrodites completely block the evolutionary path," Trevizes said. "Each offspring is a genetic copy of the hermaphrodite parent." "Come on," said Bender, "you think of evolution as a random program. Of course we can program traits in offspring if we wish, we can change or tweak genes, and sometimes we do—my The residence is here, let's go in. It's getting late, the sun can no longer provide enough heat, we will be more comfortable when we enter the room."

They passed a door that had no lock of any kind, but which opened of its own accord as they approached, and closed again as soon as they had passed.There were no windows of any kind, but as they entered a cavernous room, the walls began to glow, illuminating the room with light.The floor doesn't seem to be covered with anything, but it feels soft and elastic when you step on it.In each of the four corners of the room stood a motionless robot. "That wall," Bender pointed to the wall directly opposite the door, which didn't look any different from the other three. "It is my screen of vision. Through this screen, the whole world is displayed in front of my eyes, but it will never restrict my freedom, because no one can force me to use it." "If you want to meet someone on a screen and they don't want to, you can't force that person to use their screen," Trevize said. "Forcing?" Bender said in an arrogant tone: "I should let 'it' do what other people like to do, as long as 'it' agrees that I can do whatever I want-please note that when we call each other, we don't Use gendered pronouns.” There was only one chair in the room, which was placed directly in front of the screen, and Bender sat down. Trevize looked around, as if expecting other chairs to emerge from the floor. "Can we sit down too?" he asked. "As you like," Bender said. Bliss sat down on the floor with a smile on her face, Pelorat sat down beside her, and Trevize continued to stand stubbornly. Bliss said, "Tell me, Bender, how many humans live on this planet?" "Say Solari, demi-Birkis, please. Since demi-sexers call themselves 'humans,' the term is heavily tainted. We should probably call ourselves 'full-sexed,' but that's a mouthful to say. Larry is an apt title." "So, how many Solaris live on this planet?" "I'm not sure, we never do self-counts, probably 1,200 or so." "There are only 1,200 people in the whole world?" "A thousand and two hundred. Again you're counting numbers, we're measuring by quality. You also don't know what freedom is - if any other Solari fights with me for any of my lands, any robots, Absolute dominion over any living thing or anything, and my freedom is limited. Since there are other Solaris, it is necessary to remove as many restrictions as possible by keeping everyone far apart so that we cannot No physical contact. In order to achieve this ideal, Solari can accommodate only twelve hundred Solari. Beyond this number, freedom will be significantly restricted, with intolerable results." "This means that the birth rate must be accurately counted, and it must be just in balance with the death rate." Pelorat said suddenly. "Of course. Other worlds with stable populations must do the same. Maybe even your world is no exception." "Since the death rate may be small, the births must also be few." "exactly." Pelorat nodded and didn't ask any more questions. Trevize said, "What I want to know is how you made my weapon fly, and you haven't explained it yet." "I offer spells or magic as an explanation, do you refuse?" "Of course I refuse to accept it, what do you take me for?" "So, do you believe in the conservation of energy and the inevitability of increasing entropy?" "I believe in these, but I don't believe that within 20,000 years, you will be able to change these laws, or make a one-micron correction." "We don't, demigods. Come to think of it, there's sunshine outside," and it made that oddly graceful gesture again, as if pointing at all the sunshine. "There's shade too. It's warmer in the sun than in the shade, so heat flows spontaneously from the sunlit areas to the shaded areas." "I know what you're saying," Trevize said. "But maybe you're too familiar to think about it. And at night, Solari's surface is warmer than objects outside the atmosphere, so heat flows spontaneously from the planet's surface into outer space." "I know that too." "No matter day or night, the temperature inside the planet is always higher than the surface of the planet, so the heat will flow spontaneously from the interior to the surface. I think you also know this." "What's the use of talking about it, Bender?" "Heat flows from a high temperature to a low temperature. According to the second law of thermodynamics, this is a process that must occur, and the heat flow can be used to do work." "That's true in theory, but the heat in the sun is very thin, not to mention the heat on the surface of the planet, and the heat escaping from the center of the earth is the thinnest of the three. The heat you can use may not be enough. Pick up a small pebble." "It depends on what device you're using," Bender said. "Our tools have evolved over thousands of years to become part of the brain." Bender pushed the sides of his hair up to reveal the skull behind the ears, then turned his head from side to side.It has a protrusion behind each ear, about the size and shape of the blunt end of an egg. "I have this part of my brain and you don't. That's what makes the Solaris different from you." Trevize looked repeatedly at Bliss, who seemed to be engrossed in Bender.Trevize became more and more certain that he already knew what was going on. Even as Bender sings the praises of freedom, he still feels this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is too much to resist.A robot is so far from its intelligence that it cannot have an intellectual conversation with it, and it is even less likely to chat with animals.In his experience it was not pleasant to speak to his fellow Solari, and if they sometimes had to communicate, it must have been compulsive, not voluntary. On the contrary, for Bender, although Trevize, Bliss, and Pelorat are only half-sex people, it may think that they are like robots or goats, and will not violate its freedom, but they are intellectually different. On equal footing (or almost) with yourself.It is such a rare pleasure to have the opportunity to talk to them, it has never been experienced before. No wonder, Trevize thought, it would be so happy.And Bliss (Trevize was 200 per cent sure) was encouraging that tendency, pushing Bender's mind very gently, and it could coax it into doing things it wanted so badly. Bulky's mind must act on the assumption that if Bender talks enough, he might reveal something useful about Earth.Trevize thought it made sense, so he did his best to keep the conversation going, even if he wasn't really curious about the subject at hand. "What is the function of these two lobes?" Trevize asked. "They're converters, powered by heat flow, that convert heat flow into mechanical energy," Bender said. "I don't believe it, there isn't that much heat flow." "Little half-sex, you don't need brains. If there are many Solaris crowded together, each wanting to use the heat flow, then yes, there will never be enough heat flow. However, I have more than 40,000 square kilometers of The land, these lands are all mine, and mine alone. From so many square kilometers of land, I can collect heat flow at will, and no one else will grab it from me, so the heat is sufficient for use. Do you understand?" "Is it that simple to collect heat flow over such a wide area? Just the process of concentration takes a lot of energy." "Maybe, but I didn't pay attention. My conversion lobes are constantly concentrating heat, so when work needs to be done, it can be done immediately. When I suck your weapon into the air, a group in the Rizhao District The excess heat from the atmosphere has flowed into another mass of atmosphere in the shadows, so I can use the sun's energy to help me achieve my purpose. I don't use mechanical or electronic devices, but neural devices to do the job." It gently Touching the conversion lobe on one side, "It works quickly, effectively, uninterrupted, and effortlessly." "Unbelievable." Pelorat murmured. "Nothing miraculous," Bender said. "Think of the ingenuity of the eyes and ears, and how they can convert a small number of photons and air vibrations into a message. If you never knew about these organs, they would also seem miraculous. Compare Next, it would be even more incredible to change Ye Tuxia, if you weren't familiar with them, you wouldn't have this feeling." Trevize said, "What are you doing with these two switching lobes that are constantly running?" "To run our world," said Bender, "every robot in this vast territory draws its energy from me, or should I say, from natural heat flow to provide them with energy. No matter which robot turns a switch, or It's chopping down a tree, and the energy is all supplied by spiritual transformation—my spiritual transformation." "What if you fell asleep?" "Whether you're asleep or awake, the transition goes on and on, little demisexual," Bender said. "When you sleep, does your breathing stop? Does your heart stop? At night, I of the robots continue to function, at the cost of cooling Solari's internal temperature by only a small amount. On a large scale, this change is imperceptible. And we only have twelve hundred in total, so even with the energy we use Add it all together, and it will hardly shorten the life of the sun, or deplete the heat of the world's interior." "Have you ever considered using it as a weapon?" Bender stared at Trevize as if he were a particularly incomprehensible monster. "I think what you said," Bender said, "means that Solari might be able to make an energy weapon based on the transformation principle and use it against other worlds? Why would we do that? Even if we could defeat the other side based on other Energy weapons made of the principle of energy—this is not absolutely certain—what can we gain? Control other worlds? We already have an ideal world, why do we need other worlds? We want to dominate half-sex people, put Do they serve as slave labor? We have robots, and they are far better than half-sex humans for this function. We already have everything, and we don't need anything more, except hope that there will be no interference. Listen to me, I'll tell you another story." "Speak." Trevize responded. "Twenty thousand years ago, when the half-sexed animals on Earth began to swarm into space, we ourselves retreated underground. Other worlds were determined to confront the new colonists from Earth, so they launched an attack on Earth." "Attack on Earth?" Trevize was pleased to finally get to the point, but he did his best to hide his complacency. "Yes, attacking the enemy's heart. In a way, it's a smart move. If you want to kill a man, you don't hit his fingers or heels, you hit the heart. And our outer world My countrymen, not entirely exempt from human temper, have caused the surface of the earth to become radioactive, rendering most of it uninhabitable." "Ah, so that's the case." Pelorat clenched his fist and waved it quickly, as if wanting to make a final decision. "I knew it couldn't be a natural phenomenon. How did that happen?" "I don't know how it happened," Bender seemed indifferent. "Anyway, the outsiders are not good, that's the point of the story. Later, the galactic colonists continued to swarm out, and the outsiders— They gradually became extinct. They also tried to compete, and finally disappeared. We Solari retreated into seclusion and refused to participate in this competition, so we can continue to this day." "So do the galactic colonists," Trevize said sullenly. "That's right, it won't be like this forever. Animals living in packs will fight each other, fight each other, and eventually perish. It may take tens of thousands of years, but we can wait. When it happens Then we Solarians, full-sexed, solitary, liberated Solarians, will be able to claim the galaxy for ourselves. Then we will be free to use or give up any world we like, but our own." "But the story about the earth," Pelorat snapped his fingers impatiently, "are you telling us a legend or a historical fact?" "How do you tell the difference, half-sexual Pelorat?" Bender said. "All history is more or less legend." "But what do your records say? Can I have a look at the records, Bender? Please understand one thing. My field of study is myth, legend, and primordial history. I am a scholar who studies these subjects. Especially those related to the earth." "I'm just repeating the stories I heard," Bender said. "There are no records of this kind at all. Our records record all the affairs of Solari himself. Even if other worlds are mentioned, they are all The historical facts about their invasion of us." "Of course the earth has violated you," said Pelorat. "That's possible, but even so, it was a long, long time ago. And of all worlds we loathe Earth most, and if we have any record of Earth, because of our extreme aversion to it, those The records must have been destroyed long ago, too." Trevize gritted his teeth, looking extremely annoyed. "Was destroyed by you?" he asked. Bender turned his attention back to Trevize. "There's no one else here." Pelorat was willing to give up easily, and continued to ask: "What other things have you heard about the earth?" Bender thought for a while, and then said: "When I was young, I heard a story told by a robot. The content was that a man from Earth came to Solari, and a Solari woman left with him. She became a prominent figure in the galaxy. But, as far as I'm concerned, that's just a made-up story." Pelorat bit her lip. "are you sure?" "How can I be sure about this kind of thing?" Bender said: "Speaking of which, it is unbelievable that a person on Earth dared to come to Solari, and Solari allowed such an invasion. What's more It's impossible that a Solari woman should leave this world voluntarily - it's still inconceivable even though we were half-sexual then. But let's stop talking about that and let me show you my home." "Your home?" Bao Qisi looked around, "Aren't we already at your home?" "Not at all," Bender said. "It's a reception room, a video room. If necessary, I can meet my fellow Solaris here, and their images will appear on the walls, or Appearing before the walls in three-dimensional form. Therefore, this room is a meeting place, not part of my home—come with me." It walked forward without looking back to see if they were coming, but the four robots standing in the corner started moving too.Trevize knew in his heart that if he and his two companions did not follow up automatically, the robots would tactfully escort them away. At this moment, Pelorat and Bliss stood up, and Trevize whispered to Bliss, "Did you let him talk all the time?" Bao Qisi pressed his hand and nodded. "However, I would still like to know its intentions," she added, unease in her voice. They followed Bender forward.The robots maintain a polite distance from them, but their presence always carries a sense of menace. Now that they were passing through a corridor, Trevize said listlessly and vaguely: "There is no information on this planet that can help us find Earth. I'm sure of that. It's just another version of the radioactive legend." He shrugged, "We have to continue to the third set of coordinates." A door opened before them into a small room.Bender said, "Come on, demigods, I'm going to show you the way we live." Trevize said softly, "It gets childish pleasure from showing off, and I really want to pour cold water on it." "Don't compete with it on a childish level," said Bliss. Bender ushers the three of them into the room, followed by one of the robots.Bender waved the other robots back, walked in, and the door closed behind him. "It's an elevator," said Pelorat, delighted with his discovery. "Indeed," said Bender, "once we were underground, we never really went out, and we didn't want to. I find it nice to see the sun once in a while, though, but I don't like being out in the dark and cloudy days. It’s a feeling of not being underground but still being underground, I hope you know what I mean. It’s a cognitive dissonance, so to speak, and I find it quite uncomfortable.” "Earth built subterranean structures," said Pelorat. "They called those cities 'Steel Caves.' Trantor built subterranean structures, even on a grander scale, in the days of the Old Empire—now, Cong Pron still builds underground. Come to think of it, it's a general tendency." "There's a world of difference between semi-sex people living in underground buildings and us living alone underground," Bender said. "On Terminus, the dwellings are built on the surface," Trevize said. "Exposed to the elements," Bender said. "It was so raw." The elevator only produced a sense of reduced force that even Pelorat could detect when it was started, and there was no movement after that.Trevize was wondering how deep it would go when the force suddenly increased, and the elevator doors swung open. In front of me is a spacious and carefully decorated room, there is some light in the room, but you can see where the light source is, as if the air itself will emit a faint light. Bender stretched out a finger, and the light at the point immediately became stronger.It points to another place, and then the same phenomenon happens.Then it put its left hand on a thick round stick by the door, and drew a big circle in the air with its right hand, and the whole room was brightly illuminated, as if bathed in sunlight, but it didn't increase the slightest heat. Trevize made a face, and said in a moderate voice, "This man is a trickster." Bender snapped, "It's not 'the man', it's 'the Solari'! I'm not sure what the word 'juggler' means, but from your tone, if I'm not mistaken, it won't be What a good thing." "It's the idea that a person isn't real, it just creates the effect of looking more dazzling than it is," Trevize said. "I admit I love theatrics, but what I just showed you isn't, it's the real deal," Bender said. It patted the round stick it was pressing with its left hand with its right hand. "The heat transfer rods extend several kilometers into the ground, and there are similar heat transfer rods in many suitable places on my property. I also know that there are such devices on other properties. They can accelerate the heat of the subsurface. to the surface, and make it easier to convert that heat into mechanical work. I can actually generate light without any gestures, but it's not dramatic, or as you say, less playful, and I just Love this set." Bliss said: "Have you often had the opportunity to experience the joy of this little dramatic effect?" "No," Bender shook his head. "My robot is indifferent to such things, and neither are my fellow Solaris. It is a rare opportunity to meet half-sex people and show them all this. I am really so happy." Pelorat said, "The room was dimly lit when we entered. Has it remained so?" "Yes, it consumes very little power, just like keeping a robot running. My entire colony is running at all times, and the parts that are not actually doing work are idling." "The electricity needed for such a vast territory depends on you to continuously provide it?" "It is the sun and the planetary core that really supply electricity. I can only count it as a conduit. And not the entire territory is engaged in production. I have left most of the area undeveloped and harboring all kinds of animal life. The first One, because it can protect my borders; two, because I found that it has a beautifying function. In fact, my fields and factories are not big, they only need to supply my personal needs, and in addition to produce some special products for sharing with others For example, I own a robot that makes and installs heat guide rods, and many Solaris rely on me for assistance in this regard." "And what about your home?" Trevize asked, "How big is the area?" It must have been the right question, because Bender immediately beamed. "Very large, I believe it is one of the best on this planet, extending several kilometers in any direction. I have as many robots that take care of my house underground as there are tens of thousands of square kilometers on the surface." "Such a large house, of course you won't use all of it," Pelorat said. "You can imagine there are some rooms I've never been in, but so what?" Bender said. "The robot will keep each room spotless, well-ventilated and organized. Well, come out. " Instead of following the same path, they went out through another door and found themselves in another corridor.In front of them, there was a small convertible parked on the track. Bender motioned for them to get up, and one by one they climbed into the car.The space in the car is limited, not enough to accommodate four people plus a robot. Fortunately, Pelorat and Bao Qisi are next to each other, making room for Trevize.Bender sat in front, looking relaxed, and the robot sat beside him.The car started to move forward, and Bender couldn't see what it was doing except for occasional smooth hand movements. "Actually, it's a car droid," said Bender, with a rather nonchalant air. They proceeded at a steady rate, each door opened automatically when they came to it, and closed again immediately after they passed, so that the speed of the car did not have to change at all.The decoration of each room is very different, as if the robot has been ordered to randomly design various combinations. The corridor ahead of them was rather dark, and the situation behind them was exactly the same.However, wherever the car dealership went, it seemed that they were exposed to the sun without heat.As each door opened and the room darkened, Bender waved his hand slowly and gracefully each time. This journey seems to have no end.They found that the car would turn a corner from time to time, and it was clear that the underground mansion was extended in two dimensions. (No, three dimensions, Trevize thought as they slid steadily down a shallow slope.) No matter where they passed, they could see many robots—dozens, dozens, hundreds, all working leisurely, but it was difficult for Trevize to guess the nature of those jobs.At this time they passed through another door and came to a large room with rows of robots in it, all lying quietly at their desks. "What are they doing, Bender?" asked Pelorat. "Doing bookkeeping," Bender said. "Arranging statistical records, financial accounts, and such things. I'm glad I don't have to worry about these things. This is not a vacant property. About a quarter of the cultivated land is used for orchards." , the other tenth is used to grow cereals, and what I am really proud of is the orchard. We cultivate the best quality fruit in the world, and the most varieties. 'Band peach' is synonymous with Solari peach Well, almost none of the other Solarians bother to grow peaches. Besides, we have twenty-seven different kinds of apples, and—and many more, those robots can give you detailed information." "What do you do with so much fruit?" Trevize asked. "You can't eat it all yourself." "I wouldn't think so in my dreams. I don't like eating fruits very much. They are used to trade with other territories." "What is the deal?" "Mainly minerals, and there are no minerals worth mentioning on my property. In addition, I also trade for various things needed to maintain a healthy ecological balance. On my property, there are various and diverse types of flora and fauna. " "It's all up to the robot to take care of it, I guess," Trevize said. "They did, and they did a good job." "Just for a Solari." "Just for this territory, and the ecological standards on it. I happen to be the only Solari who visits the territory - when I choose to - but it's part of my absolute freedom." "I think other ... other Solaris would also maintain a partial ecological balance, perhaps with territories in swamps, mountains, or seaports," Pelorat said. "I think so," Bender said. "We have to meet sometimes to discuss world affairs, and that kind of thing always takes up a lot of meeting time." "How often do you get together?" Trevize asked. (Now, they are passing through a narrow and long passage without any rooms on either side. Trevize guesses that it may be difficult to build a wider building at the location of this passage, so it is used as a connection between the two wings, The two wings can continue to extend in other directions.) "Too often. I have to spend some time in meetings almost every month, on the committees I belong to. There may not be mountains or swamps on my property, yet my orchards, my fishponds, and my The botanical gardens are the best in the world." 裴洛拉特说：“但是，我亲爱的夥伴——我的意思是班德，我以为你从未离开你的属地，拜访其他的……” “当然没有。”班德答道，神情显得有些愤怒。 “我只是说以为而已，”裴洛拉特以和缓的语气说：“可是这样的话，你从未做过调查，甚至没见过其他的属地，又怎能确定自己的最好呢？” “因为，”班德说：“在属地彼此的交易中，从产品的需求量可以看出来。” 崔维兹说：“制造业的情形又如何？” 班德说：“有些属地从事工具和机械的制造。正如我刚才提到的，在我的属地上，我们制造热导棒，不过这些都相当简单。” “那机器人呢？” “到处都在制造机器人。有史以来，索拉利设计的机器人，灵巧精妙的秤谌一向领先全银河。” “直到今天仍旧如此，我猜想。”崔维兹小心翼翼控制着语调，尽量让这句话听来是个直述句，而不是疑问句。 班德说：“今天？今天还有谁跟我们竞争？如今只有索拉利还在制造机器人，你们的世界完全没有。这是我从超波中听来的，如果我的了解没错的话。” “可是其他的外世界呢？” “我告诉过你，他们已经不存在了。” “全都不存在了？” “除了索拉利，我不相信别处还有活生生的外世界人。” “那么根本没有人知道地球的位置喽？” “会有什么人想要知道地球的位置？” 裴洛拉特插嘴道：“我就想知道，这是我的研究领域。” “那么，”班德说：“你得改行研究别的了。我根本不晓得地球的位置，也没听说过有谁知道，而且我丝毫不关心这码子事。” 车子突然停下来，一时之间，崔维兹以为班德生气了。下过，停车的过程很平稳，而当班德下了车，又挥手叫其他人下车的时候，它看来仍是原来那副得意的模样。 他们进入另一间房间，在班德做了一个手势后，室内的光线仍相当暗淡。这间房通向一个侧廊，侧廊两边是许多小房间，每个小房间里有一两件华丽的容器，有些旁边还摆着另一个物件，看来好像是影片放映机。 “这些是什么，班德？”崔维兹问。 班德说：“祖先灵房，崔维兹。” 裴洛拉特很感兴趣地四处张望。“我猜，你们把祖先的骨灰葬在这里？” “如果你所谓的'葬'，”班德说：“意思是指埋在土里，你说的就不十分正确。我们现在也许身处地底，伹这里是我的宅邸，所以这些骨灰都在我家里，就像我们现在一样。在我们的语言中，我们说骨灰'安厝'此地。”它迟疑了一下，然后又说：“'厝'是'宅邸'的古字。” 崔维兹四下望了望。“这些都是你的祖先？有多少？” “将近一百个，”班德答道，毫不掩饰声音中的骄傲。“正确的数目是九十四个。当然，最早的并非真正的索拉利人——不符这个名字如今的定义。他们是半性人，雄性和雌性。那些半性祖先的骨灰坛摆在一起，紧邻他们的下一代。我当然不会走进那些房间，那相当'蒙人羞'。至少，索拉利语是这么说的，但我不知道你们的银河标准语怎么讲，你们也许没有类似的用语。” “那些影片呢？”宝绮思说：“我想那些是影片放映机？” “那些是日志，”班德说：“是有关他们生活的历史：是他们在这块属地上最锺爱的部分，所拍摄的一些影像。这意味着它们并未全然逝去，它们的一部分依旧存在。我的自由包括了能随时加入它们，我能随意观看任何影片的任何部分。” “可是不会加入那些——蒙人羞的祖先。” 班德将目光栘到别处。“不会，”它坦承不讳，“不过我们的祖先都有这么一部分，这是我们共同的不幸。” “共同的？那么其他索拉利人也有这种灵房？”崔维兹问。 “喔，是啊，我们全都有。不过要数我的最好、最精致，保存得也最妥当。” 崔维兹问道：“你是不是已经把自己的灵房准备好了？” “当然，它完全建好了，全部装潢完毕。在我继承这个属地之后，那是我完成的第一件任务。而在我归于尘秃筢——这样讲比较诗意——我的继承人便会开始建造它自己的灵房，那也将是它的第一件任务。”． “你有继承人吗？” “到时我就有了，但我的寿命还长得很呢。当我必须离开的时候，就会有个成年的继承人，成熟到了足以享受这个属地，它会有发育完成的叶突，以进行能量转换。” “它应该是你的子嗣吧，我猜想。” “喔，没错。” “可是万一，”崔维兹说：“有什么不幸发生呢？我想即使在索拉利，也会发生一些意外和不幸吧。假使一个索拉利人过早归于尘土，没有继承人接掌它的位置，或是继承人尚未成熟到能享有属地，那又会如何呢？” “那是很罕见的，在我的世系中，那种事只发生过一次。不过，万一遇到这种情况，别忘了还有其他的继承人，等着继承其他的属地。有些继承人已足够成熟，它们的单亲却足够年轻，能够产生另一个后代，并且等得到那个后代长大成人。这种所谓的'壮／少继承人'之一，就会被指定来继承无主的属地。” “由谁指定呢？” “我们有个统领委员会，它的少数功能之一就包括这一项——当有人过早归于尘土时，负责指定一个继承人。当然，整个过秤诩是经由全讯传视进行的。” 裴洛拉特说：“可是我问你，如果索拉利人彼此从不见面，要是某地的某个索拉利人意外——或是在意料之中归于尘土，又怎么会有人知道呢？” 班德说：“当我们其中之一归于尘秃筢，那个属地所有的电力都会消失。如果没有继承人立即接管，这种反常情况终究会被人发现，纠正措施随即会展开。我向你们保证，我们的社会系统运作得非常健全。” 崔维兹说：“我们有没有可能看看你这里的一些影片？” 班德愣了一下，然后说：“我不怪罪你，全然是由于你不知情，你刚才的言语既粗鲁又卑贱。” “我为这件事道歉，”崔维兹说：“我不想强迫你，不过我们解释过了，我们很想获得有关地球的资料。我忽然想到，你这里早期影片的拍摄年代，应该是在地球变得具有放射性之前，因此影片中可能会提到地球，也许还会有详尽的叙述。我们当然不希望侵犯你的隐私，伹有没有变通的办法，例如由你自己查看这些影片，或者让一个机器人来做，再将其中的相关资讯告诉我们？当然啦，如果你能体谅我们的动机，并且了解我们为了回报你的好意，会尽全力尊着你的感受，你也许会让我们亲自观看这些影片。” 班德以冷峻的语气说：“我猜想你并不知道，你变得越来越无礼了。不过，我们可以立刻结束这个话题，因为我可以告诉你，在我的早期半性祖先旁边，根本没有任何影片。” “没有？”崔维兹简直失望透了。 “它们曾经存在过，但即使是你们，也该想像得到里面会是什么内容。两个半性人彼此表示兴趣，甚至，”班德清了清喉咙，有些勉强地说：“互相作用。半性人的所有影片，自然在许多代以前就被销毁了。” “其他索拉利人所收藏的呢？” “全都销毁了。” “你能确定吗？” “不毁掉那些东西的人一定疯了。” “也许有些索拉利人真疯了，或者多愁善感，或者过于健忘。我想，请你指引我们前往邻近的属地，你该不会反对吧。” 班德瞪着崔维兹，一副讶异的表情。“你以为其他人会像我这般容忍你们？” “为何不会呢，班德？” “到时你就知道了。” “我们必须碰碰运气。” “不行，崔维兹：不行，你们都不能——听我说。” 后面出现几个机器人，班德皱起了眉头。 “什么事，班德？”崔维兹说，他突然感到下安。 班德说：“我很喜欢跟你们聊天，并且观察你们的——怪异言行。这是空前绝后的经验，我感到很高兴，可是我不能记在日志中，或是将这段记忆保存在影片里面。” "Why not?" “我讲话给你们听，我听你们讲话，我带你们来我的宅邸，我带你们来祖先灵房，这些都是可耻的行为。” “因为我们不是索拉利人，对你而言，我们跟这些机器人一样微不足道，不是吗？” “那只是我替自己找的藉口，别的索拉利人也许不会接受。” “你有什么顾虑？你有绝对的自由随心所欲，难道不是吗？” “即使像我们这样，自由也不是真正绝对的。假使我是这个行星上唯一的索拉利人，我就有绝对的自由做些甚至更可耻的事。可是这个世界还有其他索拉利人，因此，虽然我们与理想中的自由极为接近，却未曾真正达到。这个行星上有一千两百个索拉利人，要是让它们知道我做了些什么，它们全都会瞧不起我。” “没有理由需要让它们知道。” “那倒是实话，你们刚抵达此地时，我就已经想到了。在我跟你们寻开心的时候，我始终把这件事放在心上——一定不能让其他人知道。” 裴洛拉特说：“如果你的意思是，你担心我们去别的属地寻找地球的资料会为你带来麻烦，这个嘛，我们自然不会提到先拜访过你，这点我们心里有数。” 班德摇了摇头。“我已经冒了太多的风险。我自己当然不会提到这件事，我的机器人也不会提到，它们甚至会奉命不准记住这件事。你们的太空船将被带到地底，我们要进行研究，看看能提供我们什么……” “慢着，”崔维兹说：“你想检查我们的太空船，你以为我们能在这里等多久？那是不可能的事。” “绝非不可能”因为你不会再有表达意见的机会。我很遗憾，我也想跟你们多聊一会儿，讨论许多其他的事情，可是你们也看得出来，情况变得越来越危险。 " “下，绝对没有。”崔维兹尽力强调。 “喔，绝对有的，小小半性人。只怕是我该采取行动的时候了，那是我的祖先会在第一时间采取的行动。我必须将你们杀掉，三个通通杀掉。”