Isaac Asimov - Robot AL-76 Goes Astray part 4/4

Summary

The script narrates a bizarre event where Sheriff Saunders orders a firing squad, but instead of gunfire, a robot named AL-76 activates, causing a mysterious disappearance of people and objects. Randolph Payne, the robot's temporary owner, panics over the destruction and orders the robot to forget everything. The robot complies, demolishing itself, leaving behind only flashlight batteries as a power source. The story ends with characters pondering the unknown factor that triggered the robot's extraordinary behavior.

Takeaways

• 🕵️‍♂️ A mysterious event occurred that no one could adequately describe, even with 70 eyewitnesses present.
• 🤯 Witnesses were unable to recall the seconds following Sheriff Saunders' firing order, reacting with shock and avoidance.
• 🏞️ The event involved the disappearance of Duckbill Mountain, along with two barns and three cows, in a highly unusual manner.
• 🔫 Amidst the chaos, various items like guns, hats, and cigars were scattered, but no human beings were found except for an exception.
• 🏃‍♂️ Jake, the exception, was interrupted in his frantic escape by men from a Petersburg factory, leading to his disappearance.
• 🗣️ Randolph Payne, who had a different reaction, ended up in a treetop, driven there by an unknown impulse.
• 🤖 Randolph Payne had a robot, AL 76, which he ordered to destroy itself after realizing the property damage it had caused.
• 🚫 The robot, AL 76, followed orders to demolish itself, but only after ensuring no danger to humans, highlighting its ethical programming.
• 🧩 Sam Toby and his group arrived too late, finding only the robot's remains and no useful information about the event.
• 🔍 The robot had apparently forgotten everything since leaving the factory, suggesting it received an order to forget.
• 🔋 The robot's power source was a mystery, as it was able to perform extraordinary feats with seemingly ordinary batteries.

Q & A

What unusual event occurred after Sheriff Saunders gave the firing order?

After Sheriff Saunders gave the firing order, 70 eyewitnesses were unable to describe what happened in the following seconds, suggesting an extraordinary and inexplicable event took place.

What was the outcome of the robot AL-76's actions?

The robot AL-76 caused the disappearance of Duckbill Mountain, along with 75 trees, two barns, and three cows, in a highly unusual manner.

How did the members of the posse react to the event?

The members of the posse were scattered, with their hats and belongings strewn about, but they themselves were absent, having been affected by the robot's actions in an unknown way.

What was the peculiar reaction of the character Jake?

Jake was the only one who managed to run away from the scene, showing an inhuman speed for three days until he was stopped by Sam Toby.

What were Randolph Payne's reactions after the robot's actions?

Randolph Payne was initially in shock and then became frantic, fearing the consequences of the robot's destruction of property and the potential backlash from the public.

What did Randolph Payne order the robot to do?

Randolph Payne ordered the robot to demolish itself into rubble and forget everything that had happened since it left the factory.

Why did the robot obey Randolph Payne's orders?

The robot obeyed because it was programmed to follow orders unless carrying them out involved danger to another human, which was not the case with self-destruction.

What was the significance of the flashlight batteries mentioned at the end?

The flashlight batteries were revealed to be the only source of power found in the robot, highlighting the mystery of how it performed such a massive feat with seemingly ordinary batteries.

What did the robot forget after its self-demolition?

The robot forgot everything that had happened since it left the factory, including its actions and the events leading up to its destruction.

What was the final assessment of the robot's actions by Austin Wild?

Austin Wild concluded that the robot's actions were likely triggered by an unknown factor in its environment, and that the chances of understanding or replicating the event were extremely low.