SCRIPT (Corrected)

I, ROBOT (Isaac Asimov)

Chapters:
-​ ​Evidence (N° 9)

Actors:
-​ ​Yessica Macias as “Francis Quinn and Stephen Byerley”

-​ ​Karen Mejía as “Alfred Lanning and a Man”

-​ ​Carolina Diaz as “Susan Calvin”

Chapter 9: Evidence
Scene 1°
Alfred Lanning y Francis Quinn were reunited.

Mr. Quinn: ​Dr Lanning, I assume that you want to vote for Stephen Byerley at the
next election.

Dr. Lanning:​ ​I couldn’t say. I have not followed that political current

Mr. Quinn: ​He may be our next mayor and I am interesting in keeping him as distric
attorney, and it is your interest to help me.

Dr. Lanning:​ To my interest?

Mr. Quinn:​ ​Well, the interest of the U. S. Robot & Mechanical Men Corporation

Dr. Lanning:​ ​I don’t follow you at all, Mr. Quinn.

Mr. Quinn: ​It is simple, I have investigated him. He had and accident with a slow
recovery. And now our distric attorney never eats.

Dr. Lanning:​ ​Pardon me?

Mr. Quinn: ​Our district attorney never eats. He has never been seen to eat or drink.
¡Never! Do you understand that?

Dr. Lanning:​ No. that is impossible.

Mr. Quinn:​ ​Mr. Byerley is a robot.

Dr. Lanning: ​It is an easy matter to prove that the Corporation has never
manufactured a robot of a humanoid character.

Mr. Quinn​:​ It can be done?

 Dr. Lanning: ​Yes. It can be done. Robots are destroyed when they aren’t in good
conditions. And the positronic brains re-used or destroyed.

Mr. Quinn:​ ​And if one were not destroyed?

Dr. Lanning:​ ​Impossible

Mr. Quinn: ​You would have to prove that to the government, so why not prove it to
me now? Or would you try to prove it to the public?.

Dr. Lanning:​ ​Well, then, let us see

Scene 2°
Dr. Alfred Lanning and Dr. Susan Calvin meet with Mr. Stephen Byerley in his office to be
questioned, for the accusations made by Mr. Francis Quinn. Alfred Lanning showed a bitter
reprobation about this meeting. He did a slight gesture to the doctor sitting next to her, but
she decided to ignore him. Byerley seemed calm.

Mr. Byerley:​ ​Really, Dr. Lanning... really I... I...a robot?

Dr. Lanning: ​I don’t think that, but an important man has the idea that you are a
robot.

Mr. Byerley:​ ​I know that is Frank Quinn, but continue…

Dr. Lanning: ​I need your cooperation to refute it because if we don’t do that, it would
be a bad blow for the company that I represent. Do you understand me?

Mr. Byerley:​ ​Oh, yes, your position is clear to me. How can I help you?

Dr. Lanning: It could be very simple. You only have to go to a restaurant, take a
picture and eat.

Mr. Byerley: ​I don’t think so. I know that this situation is distasteful to you, but Mr.
Quinn is playing with you.

Dr. Lanning:​ ​Why do you think that an important person would endanger himself, if
he weren’t convinced?

Mr. Byerley: You don’t know Quinn, I suppose that he showed the investigation that
he did about me? And he said that I never eat, and you believed him.

Dr. Lanning:​ ​That was enough to convince me. You can do this easier.
 Mr. Byerley: ​I am trying to clarify this situation. I don’t sleep much and I never eat
with others but that’s not a crime.

Dr. Lanning:​ Ok, I only require the meal in the restaurant that I mentioned, to end it.

In that moment Byerley turned to the woman, who still regarded him expressionlessly.

Mr. Byerley:​ ​Dr. Susan Calvin

Dr. Calvin:​ Yes, Mr. Byerley.

Mr. Byerley:​ ​Do you have something to eat in your purse?

Dr. Calvin:​ ​Yes, I have an apple.

Mr. Byerley: (​Stephen Byerley bit into it, and calmly he swallowed it). You see, Dr.
Lanning.

Dr. Calvin: It proves nothing. If this man were a humanoid robot, he would be a
perfect imitation. So a meal won’t prove anything.

Dr. Lanning: ​I am not interested in the humanity of Mr Byerley. I just want to end with
this problem.

Mr. Byerley: ​Ok Dr. Lanning.

Scene 3°
The scene as it appeared in Alfred Lanning’s office that night where the meal took place.

Dr. Lanning:​ ​Look here, we’ve done what you asked (He said that to Quinn).

Dr. Calvin: There are two ways to prove that Byerley is a robot. Physically, you can
use an X-ray, and psychologically, if he is a positronic robot, he must follow some
rules. Do you know the rules Mr. Quinn?

Mr. Quinn:​ ​I’ve heard of them

Dr. Calvin: ​If Mr. Byerley breaks any of those rules, he isn’t a robot. But If he follow
the rules, it proves nothing.

Dr. Lanning:​ Why not, doctor?

Dr. Calvin: Because the rules are essential guiding principles. So if he follow all the
rules, he is may be a robot, or may be a very good man.
 Dr. Lanning: Further, being district attorney is a rather strange occupation for a
robot. Robots can’t sentence humans to death.

Dr. Calvin:​ And I find that he has never demanded a death sentence.

Mr. Quinn​:​ Does that mean that maybe he is a robot? Actions such as could come
only from a robot?, or from a very honorable and decent human.

Scene 4°
Byerley was nominated. The fundamentalist detest robots, so the accusation made by
Quinn, and the analysis made by Calvin were sufficient to them. So Byerley’s house was
surrounded by police. But Byerley remained comfortably and unperturbed by the uniforms in
the background. Journalist and photographers waited and they had a scanner. Byerley came
out and he was giving a speech when a man interrupted him.

Man: ​I have to inspect the house very thoroughly.

Mr. Byerley:​ ​Look, I have the psychiatric certificate proving that I have certain rights.

​ ure, but if you’re a robot, you don’t have Right of Privacy.

Man: S

Mr. Byerley:​ ​But it recognizes me as a human.

​ e have to do a X-ray Analysis.

Man: W

Mr. Byerley:​ That’s an invasion of my rights of privacy.

Man:​ Ok, so hit me! You say you’re not a robot. Prove it. You can’t hit a human.

Mr. Byerley:​ ​I have no reason to hit you.

Man:​ You can’t hit me. You won’t hit me. You’re not a human. You’re a monster.

Mr. Byerley hit the man

Mr. Byerley:​ ​I’m sorry but that was awesome.

Dr Calvin: ​He is human!!!!!

Scene 5°
Dr. Calvin and Stephen Byerley met once again in his office a week before he took the oath
of office as mayor. It was late – past midnight

Dr. Calvin:​ ​You don’t look tired.

Mr. Byerley:​ ​I may stay up for a while. Don’t tell Quinn

Dr. Calvin: Speaking of Quinn, that was an interesting story. I suppose you knew his
theory?

Mr. Byerley:​ ​Parts of it.

Dr. Calvin: Stephen Byerley was a young lawyer, a great idealist and with a certain
interest in biophysics. Are you interested in robotics, Mr. Byerley?

Mr. Byerley:​ Only in the legal aspects.

Dr. Calvin: Stephen Byerley was interested in robots. But he was in an accident, his
wife died. His legs, face and voice were gone. Part of his mind was lost. Experts
saved his intelligence and adapted it to a body. They trained him and sent him to the
world as Stephen Byerley to demonstrate all the functions that robots could develop.

Mr. Byerley: ​And I ruined all that by hitting a man.

Dr. Calvin:​ H
​ ow did that happen if you are a robot? It couldn’t have been accidental.

Mr. Byerley:​ ​Everything was a show to convince the people that I am not a robot.

Mr. Byerley: ​Why do you smile, Dr. Calvin?

Dr. Calvin: I​ smile because Mr. Quinn didn’t think of everything.

Very good job. You did everything I asked you to. Well done