Foundation and Earth - Isaac Asimov [197]
Trevize looked appalled. “You mean you plan to merge a human brain into yours? Have the human brain lose its individuality so that you can achieve a two-brain Gaia?”
“Yes, sir. It would not make me immortal, but it might enable me to live long enough to establish Galaxia.”
“And you brought me here for that? You want my independence of the Three Laws and my sense of judgment made part of you at the price of my individuality? —No!”
Daneel said, “Yet you said a moment ago that Galaxia is essential for the welfare of the human—”
“Even if it is, it would take a long time to establish, and I would remain an individual in my lifetime. On the other hand, if it were established rapidly, there would be a Galactic loss of individuality and my own loss would be part of an unimaginably greater whole. I would, however, certainly never consent to lose my individuality while the rest of the Galaxy retains theirs.”
Daneel said, “It is, then, as I thought. Your brain would not merge well and, in any case, it would serve a better purpose if you retained an independent judgmental ability.”
“When did you change your mind? You said that it was for merging that you brought me here.”
“Yes, and only by using the fullest extent of my greatly diminished powers. Still, when I said, ‘That is why I have brought you here,’ please remember that in Galactic Standard, the word ‘you’ represents the plural as well as the singular. I was referring to all of you.”
Pelorat stiffened in his seat. “Indeed? Tell me then, Daneel, would a human brain that was merged with your brain share in all your memories—all twenty thousand years of it, back to legendary times?”
“Certainly, sir.”
Pelorat drew a long breath. “That would fulfill a lifetime search, and it is something I would gladly give up my individuality for. Please let me have the privilege of sharing your brain.”
Trevize asked softly, “And Bliss? What about her?”
Pelorat hesitated for no more than a moment. “Bliss will understand,” he said. “She will, in any case, be better off without me—after a while.”
Daneel shook his head. “Your offer, Dr. Pelorat, is a generous one, but I cannot accept it. Your brain is an old one and it cannot survive for more than two or three decades at best, even in a merger with my own. I need something else. —See!” He pointed and said, “I’ve called her back.”
Bliss was returning, walking happily, with a bounce to her steps.
Pelorat rose convulsively to his feet. “Bliss! Oh no!”
“Do not be alarmed, Dr. Pelorat,” said Daneel. “I cannot use Bliss. That would merge me with Gaia, and I must remain independent of Gaia, as I have already explained.”
“But in that case,” said Pelorat, “who—”
And Trevize, looking at the slim figure running after Bliss, said, “The robot has wanted Fallom all along, Janov.”
103.
BLISS RETURNED, SMILING, CLEARLY IN A STATE of great pleasure.
“We couldn’t pass beyond the bounds of the estate,” she said, “but it all reminded me very much of Solaria. Fallom, of course, is convinced it is Solaria. I asked her if she didn’t think that Daneel had an appearance different from that of Jemby—after all, Jemby was metallic—and Fallom said, ‘No, not really.’ I don’t know what she meant by ‘not really.’ ”
She looked across to the middle distance where Fallom was now playing her flute for a grave Daneel, whose head nodded in time. The sound reached them, thin, clear, and lovely.
“Did you know she took the flute with her when we left the ship?” asked Bliss. “I suspect we won’t be able to get her away from Daneel for quite a while.”
The remark was met with a heavy silence, and Bliss looked at the two men in quick alarm. “What’s the matter?”
Trevize gestured gently in Pelorat’s direction. It was up to him, the gesture seemed to say.
Pelorat cleared