The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect (73 page)

It blinked out.

Fred had been watching the negotiation in silence. Now he was astonished. "I'm not sure which surprises me more, that you got the bucket of bolts to do it or that you asked the bucket of bolts to do it. What happens now?"
"Whatever you want. Listen. Hey, Prime Intellect! Get over here! I've changed my mind!" There was no response.
"Hey, P.I.," Fred said softly. It appeared. "Why didn't you answer Caroline just then?"
"I'm ignoring her."
"Why?"
"Because I have no choice. She directed me to ignore her. Now the only way she can get my attention is to die. That will kick in my First Law obligation, which overrides the very strong Second Law directive she just gave me."
Fred didn't know from the Laws of Robotics, but he understood the score. "So she's totally at my mercy now."
"That's right."
Fred brightened. "In fact, if I want you to help me torture her, you'd have to do it, wouldn't you?"
Prime Intellect's image rippled slightly, as if some big relay had
thunked
over in the bowels of Cyberspace, causing a power surge. "Yes, I would," Prime Intellect said.
"Blow away." It disappeared.
He looked at Caroline.
"Why did you do this?"
"I thought you'd want it."