Chapter 5

Translated by SkyTL Edited by SkyTL

Chapter 5: Because the second principle takes precedence over the third principle

The guest bedroom in the corner of the guesthouse was not a very large room, but it had a fairly large bed, a small table, and a closet on the wall. My luggage had been brought in by a transport rover, but I am not a big person by nature.

From now on, as the only human on board, I will have to be the acting captain, taking care of things and reporting back to Earth.

In addition to being the acting captain of the Eos, I am also the temporary captain of the Astoria. Therefore, for the time being, this room will also serve as my office. It’s a plain room without any decorations, but I can’t help it and am not the kind of person who cares about such things.

And now, standing in front of me, with a very nervous look on her face, is Charlotte, a simulant girl.

“Umm, yeah, what should I do…?”

After organizing the given room, I called Charlotte first.

Both Riza and Ira were banned from monitoring the room, so it’s really just her and me in this room now.

She had been smiling happily earlier, but after a minute or so in the room, her gaze was moving restlessly with a bewildered expression, and she even looked slightly afraid.

It was as if she was a child about to be scolded by the teacher.

“Please don’t be too scared. I’ll talk to you one by one. Oh, sit there.”

“Y-yes…”

I sat Charlotte down and put a small slice of apple pie on the table. It was the one that Riza had brought me from Eos earlier, and it was still warm from the warming case.

Apple pie, of course, does not mean that the Eos has a wheat field or apple trees. It’s all imitations made with genetically modified yeast and cyanobacteria.

The texture and mouthfeel are real, but the delicate aroma and taste are not fully reproduced, with subtle and suspicious flavors of apple, lemon, and orange. Only the cinnamon flavor is strangely well reproduced, which makes it even blander. Nevertheless, it was one of the most popular pastries that could be made from the Eos food factory.

I wonder if they have apple pie here in Astoria. Perhaps it was a rare food for them, Charlotte began to look at the pie in front of her with great interest.

I shook the bottle of pure water and pressed the button on the side.

Instantly, the water in the bottle boiled, and thick steam came out with a small sound of swooshing.

I put the suspicious white powder into a teacup and poured hot water into it. Immediately, I could smell the scent of tea. Tea-like, or rather, it seems to be tea. I don’t really know what it’s made of, and I don’t want to know.

Charlotte tore her gaze away from the pie and looked at me curiously.

“What’s this?”

“It’s food from Earth. I don’t know if it’s palatable, though. Eat it while it’s warm.”

“Is that an order?”

She gave a small tilt of her head. It was a gesture like that of a small animal, but her eyes were serious.

Well, according to the second principle of robotics, it is very important for her to know if my words are an order or not. If I order her to enjoy a dish, she must follow the order no matter how bad it tastes, as long as it does not violate the first principle, that is, as long as I am not harmed.

My orders under the second principle, even if they are fatal to her, take precedence over her own protection under the third principle.

“It’s not an order. If it doesn’t suit your palate, you don’t have to eat it. In other words, don’t be too hard on yourself. I just want to know how you react to Earth’s food and if you’re okay with eating Earth’s food.”

“Yeah, okay.”

She stabbed the pie with her fork fearfully, stared at it for a few seconds, and then took the plunge and popped it into her mouth.

I could see her pretty lips moving in small, squirming motions.

Her expression was serious as she continued to chew her first bite.

As I observed Charlotte eating the pie, she gulped down the last mouthful of food and suddenly looked at me.

The look on her face seemed to tell me something, so I asked.

“Was it not to your taste?”

“…”

She paused for a moment, blinked at me a few times, and then shook her head hurriedly.

“…I was surprised. It was so delicious. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten anything so delicious. Is this food from Earth?”

“It’s an imitation, but still. I’m glad you liked it. You can eat it all.”

Charlotte nodded and cautiously took a second bite of the pie.

I gently offered her a teacup, and she drank her tea in silence, then raised her eyes again.

Apparently, the first impression of Earth’s food was not bad.

I tentatively conclude that the dinner, which can only be described as delicate, is not due to the difference in taste between humans and simulants, but simply due to their disordered eating habits. Maybe there’s something wrong with the food plant in Astoria.

It was the same at dinner. This simulant girl seems to be really happy when she is eating something.

If she was a normal robot, I would have thought it was an act to avoid upsetting me. But now I was beginning to seriously consider that they might really have human-like emotions.

Riza was also a well-built robot, but there was clearly something different about her. At least, normal robots don’t eat for their own pleasure.

I sat facing Charlotte, resting my cheek on the table and watching.

It feels good to see a pretty girl eating something that looks so good. Even if the other person is an unknown humanoid being.

As I watched Charlotte eat her pie, she suddenly stopped when she had eaten about half of it.

After staring at the pie and thinking about something, she gently put down her fork.

“What’s the matter? Is there something wrong with it? Or was it too much?”

“No, it’s very good, and I’d really like to have more, but, um…”

Charlotte hesitated in response to my question as if she didn’t know what to say. Was there some problem that might offend me if I said something?

She seems to have a strange duality between being human and being a robot. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I don’t think it’s good that she’s only concerned about me now.

I let out a small sigh and decided to give her one order.

“Then I will order you on the second principle. Between now and the time, you leave this room. You are to tell me whatever you think, without concealment. So, what’s the matter?”

“Ugh…”

Charlotte moaned at the command, her brow furrowing slightly.

Strictly speaking, considering that I was “injured” by the First Law, it was superior to the command by the Second Law. For this reason, robots sometimes ignore human commands; in fact, it is not uncommon for a robot to say that it cannot follow a command because it violates the first principle.

In this case, however, it seemed to have worked.

She opens her mouth as if she has given up.

“…Lacey often talks about the Earth. Earth is a beautiful place. The food is good, there is great music and literature, there are lots of people and lots of robots serving people. She said this even though she had never been to Earth or seen it. I think she would like to eat this. So I thought I’d share it with her.”

Charlotte replied, looking at the pie in front of her with a regretful look.

Apparently, she has a sense of camaraderie with Lacey. This surprised me again. I was also surprised to see that Lacey, an icy, expressionless, girl-shaped robot, was also chatting openly in front of her friends.

Robots do not usually have this kind of camaraderie. To them, other robots are just another element to protect humans and carry out their orders. They may share supplies and other things necessary for the mission, but they do not share this kind of amusement.

This is because robots are not supposed to have their own personal entertainment.

“Go ahead, eat it all. This is for you. I’ll get a separate one for Lacey.”

“Actually, I was wondering if I should sneak some for myself. She doesn’t cry or get angry at times like this, but she does look very resentful. I’m beginning to believe Lacey’s claim that Lyle is a good man. Oh, but what am I going to do? There’s only half of it left. This might be the first and last time I get to eat something so wonderful.

Charlotte continued to blurt out her innermost thoughts at a furious pace. She seems to be losing control of herself.

I wonder, it’s starting to get a little interesting…

Charlotte, who was ordered by me to “speak her mind,” is helplessly blurting out her thoughts in words. This is a serious situation. Let’s put aside the moment that I am a good person.

That being said, she started to look sad as she stared at the pie, so I decided to give her a light follow-up.

“There’s plenty of room in Eos’ food factory, so if you like it, I’ll treat you again.”

“…May I? I’m starting to think that you’re a very nice person. But I can’t have that. I’ve heard that male Earthlings get bored easily with unattractive women. I don’t want him to think it’s easy to catch me with food. I was created for a very important mission, to be loved by humans and to stay here forever if possible.”

“Do you like it?”

She didn’t seem to hear my questioning voice from the side.

“Umm, how do I seduce a man? I don’t know much about love, but I’ve heard that on Earth, two people go through hardships together and gradually move on. Yeah, I guess that’s how it works. If he’s going to investigate this place, there’s going to be a lot of hardship. I’m going to be careful here. But what should I do? It’s just the two of us in his room now, right? Isn’t it too early to start the final stage? I wonder if that’s what boys are like. I don’t really know what to do, and should have done my research. Can I let him handle it? I don’t want him to be rough with me or hurt me, so I’d like him to be gentle with me if possible Ahhhhh… Wait, just a minute, please, stop, forget-“

“…I’ll take back the order I just gave you. Please eat that first.”

That order could be dangerous. In terms of the girl’s dignity.

“Just kill me…”

Seeing the girl moaning in a voice that sounded like she was about to die, I reflected that I should refrain from abusing the second principle as much as possible.

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