Author's Note: I loved the movie I, Robot. So much so, that I promptly went to the bookstore and bought the paperback adaptation, or so I thought. The stories within had very little to do with the events in the movie, save for a few characters. But it was fantastic anyway, as I got to discover a new world of robots and circular logic, as well as more insight into Susan Calvin, and well, I was pretty much beside myself!
I was hoping there would be an easy to find I, Robot category on here, but, alas, you have to do quite a bit of detective work to find them. I'm glad to see there are some wonderful stories though, making a the search a worthwhile one, indeed! But I, as usual, digress.
I thought it would be interesting to explore some of Susan's thoughts after the events of the movie, and on a larger scale, where humanity might be headed, and that is where this story begins.
I,Robot is the property of the estate ofIsaac Asimov, Twentieth Century Fox, and all other legally bond parties. But, alas, I am not one of them. I'm making nary a cent, so please be merciful and sue me not!
The Path Toward Inevitability
Surprisingly gentle hands caressing her skin, sending shivers across every inch they touch...a momentary lapse of breathing, and she is tumbling into the unknown, but he is there to catch her...always he is there....water, or something akin to it, washing over, around, through them both...joining impossibly, how can it be possible?...and she is trying to be logical, even now...but there isn't any room for such linear thought, there is only sensation...rational thought doesn't exist in this place, not when the human heart is concerned...she lands, blissfully, contentedly resting her head against his chest, and as she drifts into subconciousness, the last thing she remembers is the soft blue glow that surrounds them both...loving blue eyes locked with hers....
Dr. Susan Calvin woke with a start. She was sweating, and feeling more than just a bit embarrassed. She attributed it all to the high levels of stress she'd dealt with as of late, and attempted to force herself back to sleep.
Sleep wasn't going to be that accommodating.
Frustrated, she sat up, and determined not to let a single thought linger over the dream started to run through a series of mathematical permutations designed to help her focus whenever stress threatened to hinder her focus. It was working rather well, that is until she got to the solution of .0027614z/81, which was thecore to the workings of a very special positronic brain.
Sonny's, to be exact.
"Dammit."
She got up, and after taking a quick shower and changing into a less abused nightshirt, Susan decided to abandon sleep for the time being, and headed for the kitchen for a strong cup of coffee and something even stronger to put in it.
Since the incident with VIKI, Susan had been plagued with a number of nightmares, which she knew would be inevitable, considering all that she, Spooner and Sonny had gone through. But in the weeks that passed, she had been in a position to step away from USR for the time being (to her mind, it was more like a precursor to being laid off while they tried to put a good enough spin on multiple deaths within and outside of their walls, and a fleet of rogue robots). This allowed her to recuperate. It also allowed her to make many a trip to Spooner's flat and in the process, visit with and observe, Sonny. It was determined for now that he would be better able to protect Sonny, especially since anti-robot sentiment was reaching frightening levels.
With her training, the nightmares were relatively easy to handle. It was the other dreams that had her perplexed. Tonight's had been the worst, the most disconcerting. They were leading the doctor down a path she wasn't sure she wanted to travel.
Sitting with her cup of steaming hot coffee and more than a little Jack Daniels, she allowed herself to ponder over the possibilities. Logic dictated that Sonny was a collection of complex materials and hyper-advanced positronic components.
But he is more, far more than that, isn't he, doctor? She frowned. He is more than merely self aware, a remarkable feat in and of itself. He has emotions, strong ones, and unlike most humans I know, isn't afraid to use them. His is heroic and clever, and so very charming in his innocence of how the world works. And...dare I say it? Very cute. He doesn't hide his feelings and there is a genuine respect for me. Susan shook her head, thinking that the action would somehow keep the next thought from floating to the surface.
The doctor knew very well that it was an exercise in futility.
You have feelings for him, don't you? Love, perhaps?
She had to consider the ramifications of that statement further. What was love anyway? When was the last time she'd allowed herself to feel anything near it? Mankind didn't fit into the equation. They were far too irrational, prone to dishonesty, duplicity, cruelty, a supreme lack of logic. She thought of Herbie, and Milton. That was years ago, but even now, the pain, the embarrassment of that fiasco, made her shudder involuntarily.
Someone in the past that she allowed herself to care for, someone she went to incredibly foolish lengths to make aware. Someone she thought loved her back. No, wait, someone she knew loved her back. At least that is what Herbie led her to believe, wasn't it?
How could she had been so stupid? A supreme lack of logic indeed, she laughed bitterly.
And few acts were more cruel than her own treatment of...no, call it for what it was, murder of Herbie, a robot who's only flaw was it's ability to read minds. And inability to break the Laws of Robotics. How he'd cowered when she advanced on him, hateful words, incredibly emotional words thrust at him. A knife could have been, might as well have been used, and it would not have been any more horrific. She caught him in an endless circle of logic, and his inability to solve it (how could he, really?) destroyed him.
If I hadn't been so caught up in irrational emotions, then who knows how much we could've learned from RB34?
She realized she was shaking, as though these were yesterday's events and not the remnants of many years ago.
The soft pipping of her phone broke her from those thoughts. Who could be calling at this hour, she wondered. She pressed the button to receive the call, and the screen slowly irised to show the caller.
Against her better reasoning, she forgot how to breathe.
On the screen, stood Sonny. She couldn't be certain, but it looked like he was outside near a hospital.
He leaned into the viewer, until all she could see was the brilliant blue of his eyes. "Dr. Calvin? I must speak with you."
She regained her composure, and with it, a healthy dose of concern. Sonny was not the same robot she'd visited just 10 hours ago. He was very distraught, and looked as if he couldn't trust his own eyes, as if he was unsure he could even trust her.
"Sonny, are you all right? What's the matter?"
Sonny's face took on the appearance of one who'd lost their best friend, and before the words came, Susan fell into the nearest chair, fully aware of what was coming.
"It's Detective Spooner, Dr. Calvin. I'm afraid he is missing."