The robot looked at the sleeping dreamer at his right, and said: "Because it just dawned on me. Why shouldn't I have this pleasure of living the ultimately perfect life? Listen. I'll instruct you so that you can carry out the duties that I have to do now. You can administer to them from now on. And also to me. For a little while anyway."
"You!" radiated Amco, breaking into vocal speech in his rage. "What makes you think you're entitled to that honor? You were created for a specific purpose—to oversee the sleep of your creators. I'm like them. You're only metal, a machine. No more nonsense. Come."
The teleo-electronic man stood in his mechanical coldness. "Perhaps they made a mistake when they constructed me. My mind is much more delicate, sensitive and human than they intended it should be. I think. But it seems to be much too late to rectify the error. I'm human. I deserve the same considerations as a human, as you. I'm even more deserving of the relaxation and beautiful dreams of the Sleep than you because I've served in the indescribable monotony of mechanical servitude for so long. So, I've definitely decided. You'll take my place."
Amco felt frustrated at the teleo-electronic man's logic. His longings warped his own logic. "You were designed for this duty. I'd be vulnerable to fatigue, sickness, death, whereas you—"
The teleo-electronic man started moving toward Amco. "No. I'm going to make an electronic body for your brain—a body of eternity like mine. I'll construct this body according to your specifications—superficially that is."
Amco backed away.
"Don't make it difficult," radiated the robot. "You can't avoid the inevitable."
Overcoming the metal man was out of the question. Physical violence of any sort was vague and abstract to Amco anyway. Resignation saved him from confusion. His only regret now was that he would be cheated out of the sleep. He had forgotten the Coordinator who waited for his answer as to the goal of evolution.