They looked at him blankly.
"You mean Daniel?"asked Lance. "Why don't you use your first name, not just your initial?"
"My full name is Robot Daneel Olivaw."
"What kind of a joke is this?"asked Pietro.
"You're a robot?"asked Fred.
"Yes, I am a robot."
"You sure don't look like one."said Pietro.
"I am a humaniform robot. I was designed to pass for a human being."
"I've never heard of anything like that."Pietro answered.
"It would be much better if we were to discuss this inside. We might be overheard."
They nodded, and the robot stepped in.
"You would not have heard about humaniform robots, because they have not been designed yet. I myself was designed by Drs.Roj Nemmenuh Sarton and Han Fastolfe. They were both Spacers. Aurorans."
"Spacers?"asked Pietro.
"Aurorans?"asked Lance.
"You mean...something like aliens?"Pietro asked.
"No, human beings. They were natives of the planet Aurora."
"Okay, first of all, humans can only be natives of one planet, that's here, Earth! Second, Aurora's a name! A person's name! I mean, you ever heard of Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty? It means dawn!"Lance told him.
"I was never aware of a Princess Aurora, but to my masters, Aurora was known as the World of the Dawn."
"It goes with the name, I guess, but I still don't understand. People only live on Earth!"
"I am from the future."the robot said. "I was designed by Spacers. The Spacer Worlds are, I should say, are going to be Fifty. The first that will be settled will be Aurora, the last, Solaria. I was designed to be a detective, and have solved, along with an Earthman, Elijah Baley certain crimes, one of which was on the planet Solaria. However, the planet has been abandoned by its inhabitants. The Solarians led a hermit-like existence, and never saw one another. A...friend of mine, left me with a mission. I must find where the Solarians have gone. That is why I have traveled through time to find you. You must help me find where the Solarians have gone."He turned towards the television. "I see that you are quite skilled in viewing people. My master was Dr.Fastolfe, but he is dead, and he willed me to Miss Gladia, who was a Solarian by birth. The fact that Solaria had been abandoned distressed her very much, as it was her native world. The Solarians used the same way of communicating that you use most of the time."he said, gesturing towards the television set. "You have some experience in that matter. You are the only ones who can help me on my mission."
"Um, we're really not interested in your mission."said Pietro.
"Yeah, we're more interested in when the pizza's getting here."said Fred, looking out the window.
"You will win much by helping me."said R.Daneel.
"Like what? You know what I'm starting to think, you're probably just some guy who works for the police or something, and you're trying to trick us!"
"I cannot lie to you. I am a robot, bound by the Laws of Robotics. These are 1.A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm., 2.A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law., and #A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law, and there, is the Zeroth LawA robot may not injure humanity, or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm, and the other laws must be adjusted to fit it."
"And how do we know you are a robot? How do we know this isn't a trick! Anyway, we aren't bound by these laws of yours!"asked Lance."
The robot looked at him, pulled his sleeve up, touched his arm, and the skin fell away, and they saw that what was underneath was metal.
"Oh."
The doorbell rang. R.Daneel went to answer it. They heard him talk to the pizza guy. He came back with the pizza.
"I believe you were expecting this."he said.
"You had cash?"
"Of course. I was under the impression that you might need it. I have spent time researching your stories."
R.Daneel went to get th plates, and put a slice on each one, and handed it to one person.
"Um, good service."
"That is one of my functions. If you will come on the mission with me, you will be my new masters for some time."he said. "Would you require anything to drink?"
"Um, there's iced tea in the fridge."said Lance.
R.Daneel came back with glasses of iced tea.
"You know, I might just get used to this."said Pietro.
"We might just consider this mission of yours, after all."said Lance.
"I am glad, Master."said R.Daneel.
"Excuse me?"
"I am glad, Master."
"You called me master?"
The Brotherhood stared at R.Daneel.
"If you accept to accompany me, you are now my masters."
They looked at him, wide-eyed.
"And what exactly, would being your masters imply?"asked Pietro.
"You would be my masters, and I would be responsible for your protection, and well-being, and of course, for any other function I am capable of doing."
"Such as serving the food?"
"Yes."
"Cooking?"
"Yes."
"Housework?"
"Yes."
"Getting cash?"
"Yes."
"Beating people we don't like up?"
"I must not injure a human being, but if the alternative is harm to my masters, then my masters have preference."
"You know, I think we have a deal!"said Lance, as he held his hand to shake hands with R.Daneel.
"It is flattering, Master, to be taken for human to such an extent."he said as he took Lance's hand.
"Oh, well, then,"Lance pulled his hand back. "Then when do we get started?"
"As soon as possible, Masters."said R.Daneel. "We shall reach Solaria while the Solarians still inhabited the planet. You are the ones best suited, due to your viewing skills."