"So the people on this planet, this Aurora, went to Trantor. That's where they went! But why?"asked Valeria, as she lay in her hammock.
"Maybe the world didn't please them as much? After all, Trantor is the capital of the Galactic Empire, isn't it? Wouldn't anyone rather live on Trantor then some far off unknown world?"she asked herself.
"Of course."she answered herself.
She looked at drawing and pictures of what had been robots.
"Why dress them?"she asked, looking at the clothing the robots wore. "They're machines!"she exclaimed, throwing them up. "Machines that walk and talk. Just like people. Only machines, though."
She nodded. Although she didn't enjoy being on planets much, and she would long to be alone on her ship, every now and then, she did get lonely, and it was a pain to do some of the chores herself. She climbed off the hammock, and looked at the robot's brain.
"You know, Ariel,"she said. "You might just be right to take care of some of those chores and keep me company every now and then! We just have to get a new body for you, and make a couple of repairs. You were in a bad shape, but, oh, well, too bad, nothing that can't be fixed, anyway, so...let's get to work. I'll grab some more films if I need help."
Valeria jumped off her hammock, and got to work. In a week, with the help of the book films.she was looking at what was a new robot.
"Or at least, not brand new, but new. New body, old brain, think of it that way."she said.
They eyes lit up.
"Hello?"asked Valeria.
The robot looked around.
"Can you hear me?"Valeria asked again.
"Yes, madam."said the robot.
Valeria beamed.
"That means I did everything right, doesn't it? Your name's Ariel, isn't it?"
"Yes, madam."
"I like that. Madam. My name is Valeria, but to you, I'm madam."
"Yes, madam."
"Is that all you know how to say? Yes, madam?"
"No, madam."
"Again? Can you say anything else?"
"Whatever pleases you, madam."
"Wow. You aren't so ignorant, then. Can you do anything?"
"Yes, madam. I am a house robot."
"Good. Can you wash dishes, do laundry, cook?"
"Yes, madam."
"Excellent. Those will be some of your duties on this ship. I'll teach you other things as we go along. Right now, while I'm preparing to leave this planet, I took some of the book films with me, just in case, and we can always come back, place is deserted, anyway, well, we're leaving. While I'm doing that, you prepare dinner, all right."
"Yes, madam. Are we going to Madam Lemer?"
"What? No. I'm not sure where we're going, but definitely not to this Madam Lemer. Listen to me, I am your mistress now. Madam Lemer is gone. Long long gone. Are we clear on that?"
"Yes, madam."
"Good. Now I'll be in the pilot room. You take care of dinner."
"Yes, madam."
"Apparently, Daneel, she found nothing of interest on Aurora."a robot was telling Daneel. "She is leaving now with only a few supplies she picked up. That was probably why she landed, anyway. She imagined she would meet people to sell her supplies she probably needed aboard ship."
Daneel nodded.
"That is good. We must do something, however, to stop anymore people from landing on the Spacer Worlds. People must never land on them any longer, by accident."