Pressing a series of switches, Dr. Stone spoke briefly into a speaker. "All right, Primo, when the door opens, the field will be cut just long enough for one to enter before it automatically goes back into operation. Be quick about it."
The four men watched the door. The latches clicked, then it swung open silently, the humming and warning red light dying out simultaneously. Barely had the waiting figure hurried in when the heavy steel door swung back into place once more.
"Hello, Don," smiled the newcomer, a small patch of metal behind one ear the only visible indication that he was one of the servant roboes. Or had been, if the story just told had been correct. "I'm glad to see that you're here." He smiled at the sudden snort from the general. "But perhaps we'd better get down to business and not waste the time of such important personages." There was another snort from the general.
"Your ultimatum created quite a sensation in the Council," began the Under-Secretary.
"I realized it would," said Primo quietly, looking sadly at his creator, Dr. Stone. "And their decision...?"
"Extinction!" snapped the General.
"General Adams, I am still your superior," sternly reminded the Under-Secretary.
The military man subsided sullenly. "Now then," began the Under-Secretary more softly to the attentive Primo. "You realize that even if the Council were to grant you freedom from the control of man that it would be an admission that you are the equal of the human race."
"That's true," admitted Primo, "but then wouldn't that be facing facts? After all, we can do things that even humans can't."
The Under-Secretary nodded his head, "Agreed. But an aircraft can fly and a submarine can swim under the oceans; does that make them superior to man? Only in that one respect, because they don't have the power to reason."