Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen Motivation, Motivation...

Bailey put the blaster away, his hand still cautiously on the handle. "Crowther, you go ahead of us," he said, "toward Seventeenth Street B." "I haven't eaten yet!" said Crowther. "You're so talkative," Bailey said impatiently, "Your rice is on the floor, and you poured it yourself." "I have the right to eat." "You go to the detention center to eat, or you will miss a meal, and you won't starve to death." The three of them walked through the labyrinthine New York yeast factory in silence, with Crowther walking in front with a blank face, followed by Bailey, and R. Daniel in the rear.

At the receptionist's place, Bailey and R. Daniel completed the departure procedures, and Crowther filled out the leave form and asked for someone to clean the measurement room. When they were outside, heading for the patrol car parked in the unloading yard, Crowther said suddenly, "Wait a minute!" He circled back and turned to R. Daniel.Before Bailey could stop him, he got there and slapped Daniel hard. "What are you doing?" Bailey yelled, rushing to grab Crowther. Crowther didn't resist, "It's okay, I'll go with you. I just want to see for myself." He was still smiling.

R. Daniel flickered once when he was slapped, but didn't avoid it completely.He watched Crowther silently.His cheeks were not red, nor did he show any signs of being beaten. "It's a dangerous move, Crowther," he said. "If I hadn't stepped back, your hand would probably have been hurt. If I hadn't, I would have hurt your hand. I really don't know. Unfortunately." Crowther laughed. "Go in, Crowther!" Bailey said. "You go in too, Daniel. You sit with him in the back and don't let him move. You can break his hand if necessary. It's an order!" "Whatever First rule?" Crowther sarcastically said.

"I think Daniel is strong enough and fast enough to stop you without hurting you. Even if he breaks an arm or two while stopping you, it will probably be good for you." With Bailey in the driver's seat, the patrol car sped up.The wind ruffles and Crowther's hair, but R. Daniel's doesn't move. "Is it because you're afraid of losing your job that you're terrified of robots, Mr. Crowther?" R. Daniel asked quietly. Bailey couldn't turn his head to see Crowther's expression, but he believed that Crowther's face must be tense, full of hatred and disgust.And he would certainly twist his stiff body and try to sit as far away from R. Daniel as possible.

"And my child's work, and every child's work." Crowther's voice came from behind. "Adjustment is inevitable," R. Daniel said. "For example, if your children are trained to colonize." "Are you here too?" Crowther interrupted him. "This policeman once mentioned colonization to me. He has received good robot training, and I think he is probably a robot." Bailey growled, "Enough, you!" "The colonial training center involves issues such as safety, status guarantee, and job security." R. Daniel said calmly: "If you really care about your children, this is something that deserves your serious consideration."

"I'm not going to take anything from a robot, an outsider, or you government minions!" That's all for the conversation.The dead silence of the driveway surrounded them, save for the hum of the patrol car's motor and the hiss of its wheels on the road. Back at the bureau, Bailey signed a paper detaining Crowther and turned him over to the detention center administrator.Afterwards, he and R. Daniel took the electric spiral staircase to the headquarters. They didn't take the elevator, and R. Daniel wasn't surprised at all.Bailey also knew he would not be surprised.He was used to the robot's weird mixture of competence and absolute obedience, and he didn't want to spend any more time studying it.It stands to reason that from the detention center to the headquarters, taking the elevator is the fastest and most convenient.The electric spiral staircase is a movable staircase, which is most suitable for short distances up and down two or three floors.All kinds of people and administrative staff from various government departments hurried past on the spiral staircase, staying for less than a minute before and after.Only Bailey and R. Daniel stood firmly on the stairway, moving up with it slowly and sluggishly.

Bayley needs this time.It was only a few minutes at most, but there was another problem waiting for him at headquarters, and he needed to catch his breath.The spiral staircase moved slowly, but he was still dissatisfied, feeling that it was too fast. "It seems that we will not interrogate Crowther immediately." R. Daniel said. "He can't run away." Bailey was angry. "Let's see what's going on with R. Sammy first." He murmured, "This can't be an independent incident, there must be some kind of connection." This sentence doesn't seem to be addressed to R. Daniel , but to himself.

"It's a pity we can't interrogate right away. Crowther's brain waves—" "How's his brain wave?" "They changed, in a strange way. Did something happen to you while I wasn't in the measurement room?" "I just gave him a reasoning." Bailey returned absently. "I told him the Gospel of Saint Fastolph." "I don't understand, Ilya." Bailey sighed. "I mean, I explained to him that Earth might as well use robots to colonize the excess population on other planets. I wanted to dig out all the medievalist shit out of his head. God knows, I never knew I was so Good for preaching! All in all, that's what happened between me and him."

"I see. No wonder he changed. That's probably why. Tell me, Ilya, how did you talk to him about robots?" "You really want to know? Well, anyway, I just told him that a robot is just a machine. It's a Gospel from the book of Saint Gary Joe. There are many Gospels in the world." "Did you tell him that anyone can beat a robot without fear that he will fight back? Just like any other machine?" "Except for punching bags, I think! Yes, I told him. How did you think of that?" He looked at the robot in front of him curiously. "It fits with the change in his brainwaves," said R. Daniel. "That's why he hit me in the face when we came out of the yeast factory. He must be thinking about what you said, trying to test you." Is it true, and at the same time use this to vent his anger and enjoy the pleasure of witnessing my status inferior to his. In order to stimulate this kind of motivation and make his fifth dimension undergo D changes..."

After R. Daniel finished speaking, he stopped and waited for a long time before saying again: "Yes, very interesting. Now I believe that I can form a set of consistent and non-contradictory materials." The headquarters floor is almost here. "What time is it?" Bailey asked. As soon as he finished speaking, he couldn't help but get angry with himself.He thought: Crazy!I can look at the watch by myself, so I can know the time faster. But, of course, he also knew why he was asking him.His motive was actually similar to Crowther's motive for beating R. Daniel.To give orders to a robot, to tell him to do trivial things, has no other purpose than to emphasize his robotic nature while at the same time emphasizing his own humanity.

We are all the same, Bailey thought.On the skin, under the skin, everywhere, we all have the same humanity.God! "Twenty past twenty," said R. Daniel. They went down the spiral staircase.When he first stepped onto the floor, for a few seconds, Bailey was not used to it.He felt that strange feeling again.He would have that eerie feeling every time he adjusted himself to the immobile ground after a period of steady movement. "It's so late, I haven't eaten yet." He said, "This kind of work is really not done by humans." Bailey heard Julier's voice, still in his office.The big office outside was already empty, as if after a big cleaning, Julier's voice seemed particularly hollow in it.His glasses were in his hands, and his round face without them looked naked and limp.He was wiping his oily forehead with a thin piece of paper. Bailey walked to the door of the director's room. When Julier saw him, his voice suddenly raised an octave, and he was extremely impatient. "My God, Ilya! Where have you been fooling around?" Bailey ignored him: "What's the matter? Where are the people on the night shift?" Then he saw clearly another person in the chief's office. "Dr. Gary Joe!" He froze. The gray-haired roboticist nodded to him. "Nice to meet again, Mr. Bailey." Julier put on his glasses and stared at Bailey: "Everyone is downstairs for interrogation and signing confessions. I've been looking for you like crazy. It's kind of strange that you disappeared." "I'm missing?" Baley called out. "It's a bit strange to be missing at a time like this. This matter must have been done by someone in the bureau, and this is a big trouble. It's really terrible! Terrible! Terrible!" He raised his hands as if begging God, and suddenly Eyes fell on R. Daniel. Bailey sneered secretly: This is the first time you have looked directly at Daniel's face.Take a good look, Juliel... Julier's voice dropped. "He's got to sign a confession, too. So do I. Me, alas!" Bailey said, "Director, how do you know it wasn't R. Sammy who broke the line? How can you say it was vandalism?" Julier sat down heavily: "Ask him." He pointed to Dr. Gary Qiu. Dr. Gary Chew cleared his throat. "I really don't know what to say, Mr. Bailey. You look surprised to see me." "It was a bit of a surprise," Bailey admitted. "Well, it's like this, because I'm not in a hurry to go back to Huashengyi, and I rarely come to New York, so I want to stay for a while. What's more, the more I think about it, the more I feel that before I leave At least I should try again to get you to let me study that amazing robot again, or I'd be so sorry for my job. Now, this robot," he said eagerly, "here he is. I--" Bailey became a little uneasy. "impossible." The roboticist looked disappointed. "Not now. Maybe, wait a minute?" Bai Lai did not speak, and his long face maintained a blank expression. Dr. Gary Chew continued: "I contacted you, and you are not in. No one knows where you might be. I asked the director, and he told me to wait for you at headquarters." Julier quickly interjected, "I thought this matter was important. I know you want to see this person." Bailey nodded: "Thank you." "Unfortunately, my indicator stick failed," said Dr. Gary Chew. "Maybe I was too nervous to judge its temperature. Anyway, I turned in the wrong direction and ended up in a small room." "It's the photographic equipment room, Ilya." Julier interrupted again. "Yes," said Dr. Gary Chew; "there was a robot in the room, lying face down on the floor. I inspected it a little, and immediately determined that he was beyond repair. He was dead, you might say. .and the cause of his death is obvious." "Why?" Bailey asked. "The robot's hand is half-held," Dr. Gary Chew said. "In his hand is a glowing oval about five centimeters long and one and a half centimeters wide. There is a mica window at one end of the oval. He Touching his head with his hand, as if the last movement of the robot was to touch his head. What he's holding in his hand is an alpha emitter. I suppose you know what that is?" Bailey nodded.He didn't need to look up a dictionary or a manual to know what an alpha emitter was.He had used several alpha emitters in his previous physics lab class.It is covered with lead alloy, and a narrow pit has been dug inside, under which there is a small piece of containing mineral.The tunnel is covered with a sheet of mica, and the alpha particles will penetrate the mica sheet under impact.Radiation is emitted from this direction.Alpha emitters have many uses, but not killing robots, at least not legally. "I guess he's aiming the mica window at his head?" Bayley said. "Yes," Dr. Gary Chew said, "so his positronic brain was instantly messed up. That is to say, he died instantly." Bailey turned to the pale Juliel: "That's right? Is it really an alpha emitter?" Julier nodded and pursed his thick lips: "Absolutely. The radiation measuring instrument detected it at a distance of three meters. The negatives in the photographic equipment room all became white." After he finished speaking, he seemed to be thinking about this matter After a moment of silence, he suddenly said: "Mr. Gary Chew, I'm afraid you will have to stay in New York City for a day or two until we have your testimony recorded on video and faxed. I must send you to Some room. You don't mind being guarded, do you?" Dr. Gary Chew was a little nervous: "Do you think it's necessary?" "It's safer that way." Dr. Gary Chew seemed to be thinking about other things, with an absent-minded look.He shook hands with everyone, even with R. Daniel, and walked out of the Chief's office. Julier sighed deeply. "Ilya, it was our own people who did it, that's why I am so annoying. Outsiders will not go to the police station to do this kind of thing in order to kill a robot. There are many robots outside, and it is easier to fight robots outside. Safe. And the man has to get an alpha emitter. Alpha emitters are hard to come by." R. Daniel spoke, his calm and flat voice cut off Julier's excited tone. "But, Commissioner," he said, "what was the motive for this murder?" Julier glanced at R. Daniel with obvious disgust, and then looked away: "The police are also human. I don't think the police like anyone. Now that the robot is over, that person probably feels the same. Take it easy. Elijah, didn't R. Sammy always irritate you very much, don't you remember?" "That's not even a motive for murder," said R. Daniel. "That's right," Bailey agreed.He has a plan in mind. "It's not murder," Julier said. "It's vandalism. We've got to get the legal wording right. It's just that this happened in our bureau, so it's especially nerve-wracking. If it happened in Anywhere else, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter at all. Now, it's going to be a first-class scandal, isn't it, Ilya?" "What's up?" "When was the last time you saw R. Sammy?" "After lunch today, R. Daniel was talking to R. Sammy. I figured it was around 13:30. R. Sammy was arranging for us to use your office." "My office? What to do?" "I needed a private space to discuss the case with R. Daniel. You were away, so your office was an ideal place." "So that's how it is..." Julier looked suspicious, but he put the matter aside temporarily, "So you didn't see him?" "No. But I heard his voice about an hour later." "Are you sure it's his voice?" "Very sure." "It was about fourteen thirty?" "Almost, maybe a little earlier." Julier bit his plump lower lip thoughtfully, "Well, this solves one thing." "What's up?" "That boy, Vincent Barrett, he was here today. You know that?" "I know. But the director, he won't do such a thing." Julier stared at Bailey's face. "Why not? R. Sammy took his job. I can understand how he feels. He feels it's very unfair. He would want revenge. If it was you, wouldn't you? But the fact He left City Hall at fourteen, and you still hear R. Sammy's voice at fourteen-thirty. Of course, he could have given the alpha emitter to R. Sammy, tell R. Sammy to use it in an hour. But the question is, where can he get the alpha ray emitter? This is really confusing. Well, now we return to R. Shan Mi. You heard his voice at fourteen-thirty, what did he say?" Bailey hesitated, then said cautiously: "I don't remember. We'll be out soon." "Where are you going?" "Finally to Yeast. I was just about to talk to you about it." "We'll talk later, we'll talk later." Julie rubbed his chin, "I noticed that Jessie also came to the bureau this afternoon. I mean, we checked all the visitor records today, and I happened to see her name." "Yes, she has been here," said Bailey coldly. "What are you here for?" "A little chore." "Business, Ilya, she must be interrogated." "I understand the routine, Chief. What about that alpha emitter you were talking about? Was it traced?" "Oh, checked. It's from a power plant." "What did they say?" "They don't even know it's missing. Don't worry about it, Elijah, you don't have to deal with the case. Just make the routine report. Concentrate on your case. The most important thing is the investigation of Space City." "Could I make my routine report a little later, Director?" Bayley said. "I haven't had dinner yet." Julier looked directly at Bale. "Go ahead and eat, but don't leave the police station, okay? Your partner is right," he seemed to avoid addressing R. Daniel directly, or mentioning his name, "we need to find out the motive. The motive !" Bailey froze suddenly.There is something that does not exist in him, something completely strange, which is picking up the events of today, yesterday, and the day before yesterday.All the facts seem to be pieced together gradually and a certain pattern begins to take shape. He said, "Director, which power plant did this Alpha emitter come from?" "How about the Williamsburg power plant?" "nothing." He walked out of the chief's office, followed by R. Daniel. Julier was still muttering to himself: "Motivation. Motivation..." Bayley ate a simple dinner in a little-used dining room in the bureau.He devoured the pickled tomato with lettuce and couldn't taste it.After the last morsel of food, his fork was still scribbling aimlessly across the smooth cardboard plate, as if searching for something in the empty plate. "God!" He realized his movement, and put down the fork in his hand. "Daniel!" he said. R. Daniel sat at another table, as if he didn't want to disturb the troubled Bailey, and as if he needed to be alone.Bailey was in no mood to care what he was doing. Daniel stood up and walked over to Bailey's table and sat down. "What's the matter, partner Ilya?" Bailey didn't look at him: "Daniel, I need your cooperation." "How to cooperate?" "They're going to interrogate me and Jessie. That's for sure. Let me answer the questions in my own way, you understand?" "Of course I understand. But if someone asks me a direct question, how can I not answer it truthfully?" "If someone asks you a direct question, that's another matter. All I ask is that you don't offer information. You can do it, can't you?" "I believe I can, partner Elijah. As long as my silence doesn't hurt another human being." Bailey scowled. "If you don't keep silent, you'll hurt me. I promise you that." "I don't quite understand your point of view, partner Elijah. The R. Sammy affair has nothing to do with you." "Never mind? It's all about the motive, isn't it? You questioned the motive, and the Commissioner questioned it, and I questioned it. Why would anyone want to kill R. Sammy? Listen, it's not just A general question of who wants to destroy a robot. In fact, any earthling would want to. But he can't get the alpha emitter, the director is right. So we have to go in another direction Go ahead, and there just so happens to be another person with the same motive. It's so obvious that the suspect is ready to be revealed, and even a fool can see it." "Who is it, Elijah?" "It's me, Daniel." Bailey's voice seemed to be angry. R. Daniel remained expressionless, and did not change his face because of the impact of these words.He just shook his head. "You don't agree. Okay. My wife came to the office today. They already know about this. The director also finds it very strange. If it weren't because we are friends, he probably wouldn't stop the interrogation so soon. But they will definitely investigate , definitely. Jessie is part of some conspiracy, stupid and harmless as it is, but it is a conspiracy. What cop could stand his wife being involved in something like this? So, I For the sake of my own future, of course, I must try to keep it from being mentioned. Well, who knows about it? It's just you and me, and Jessie, and R. Sammy. He once saw her panicked. The way she looked. She must have lost control when he told her that we told her not to disturb anyone. You saw the way she walked into the office." "It's unlikely that she would reveal any remorse to R. Sammy," said R. Daniel. "Maybe. But I'm simulating the whole situation now in the way they would accuse her. They'd say she said something she blamed. That's my motive. I killed R. Sammy to silence it." "They don't think so." "Yes! That's what they'll think. The murder was arranged to make me suspicious. Why use an alpha emitter? It's a risky way to do it. It's hard to get, but It is easy to trace the source. I think that is why the murderer chose the alpha ray emitter. He even ordered R. Sammy to go into the camera equipment room and kill himself there. In my opinion, the reason for this is To highlight the method of murder. That way, even if everyone is ignorant and doesn't recognize the alpha emitter right away, it won't be long before someone notices that the photographic negatives are blurred." "And how do these things involve you, Ilya?" Bailey smiled wryly, his long face devoid of humor. "Clean and neat. This alpha emitter is from the Williamsburg power plant. We went there yesterday. We were seen going in, and there will be evidence of that. So I have more than a criminal motive." , there is also the possibility of obtaining weapons. And, we will probably be the last to see or hear R. Sammy, except, of course, for the real murderer." "I'm with you at the power plant, and I can attest that you have no chance of stealing an alpha emitter." "Thank you." Bailey said sadly, "It's a pity that you are a robot, and your testimony has no legal effect." "The director is your friend, he will believe it." "The Chief has to keep his position, and he's already a little uncomfortable with me. I have only one chance to get out of this very troublesome situation." "what chance?" "I asked myself, why would I be framed? Obviously it was to get rid of me. But, why? Obviously it was because I had threatened someone. Yes, I was trying to threaten someone, someone. Someone who killed Dr. Shatton in Space City. This person is probably a Medievalist, or at least one of the core groups. This core group knows that I have been to the power plant. At least one of them followed us on the road belt to the power plant, but you think we've gotten rid of each other. So if I find Dr. Shatton's killer, I might be able to find someone or someone who wants to get rid of me. If I can get things Figured, if I can solve the case—as long as I can solve it, I'll be fine. Jessie's fine. I can't bear to let her...but I'm running out of time." He clenched his fists like cramps One piece and one close. "I don't have much time." Bailey looked at R. Daniel's chiseled face with sudden hope.Whatever it was that was in front of him, he was strong, loyal, and selfless.What can you say about a friend like this?At this moment, Bailey needed a friend, and he was in no mood to pick whether this friend had blood vessels or gears in his body. R. Daniel, however, was shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Elijah," the robot said, without a trace of regret, of course. "I did not foresee the way things would turn out. It may be that I have done harm to you by my actions. I am truly sorry to have caused you harm for the good of the whole." "What overall interests?" Bailey stammered a little. "I've been in touch with Dr. Fastoff." "My God! When?" "While you're eating." Bailey pursed his lips. "Oh?" He finally spoke. "The results of it?" "You must use other methods to clear the suspicion. According to the information I have obtained, the people in our space city have decided to end the investigation of Dr. Shatton's murder today, and start planning to leave the space city and the earth."