Thank you, @litguru--you never know what you will trigger when you write something. This was entirely inspired by you and @azircon. Of course I have read Asimov. I love Asimov. I think I went through all the classic science fiction writers at one time or another, starting with H.G., who is probably the granddaddy of modern science fiction.
I may have read I Robot, but a reread is always in the cards for me when I enjoy a book.
When I began this story it was a kernel, started by two bloggers. I didn't know where it was going. This end seemed the most inevitable to me.
Let's hope there is something in the cards neither you nor I see. I mean, nobody predicted fission. Nobody predicted the double helix. Nobody predicted quantum physics. There were steps along the way, but always we have managed to surprise ourselves. Let's hope we do that in a good way.
Thanks again for that very thoughtful response.
I, Robot is one of my favorite books where Asimov described the the laws, correctly pointed out by litguru above.
Might I recommend the Movie based on the book too. The purists will say that the movie lack depth of the book, but I enjoy both. There is a speech there "ghosts in the machine" that gives me hope.
This is perhaps much deeper than visualized here.
I have seen the movie. Sticks with you :)
Whenever I write a story...or anything...I understand that everything I think has been influenced by everything I've experienced. That is, books, movies, TV, conversations. There is no way to tease out those influences. That's the best reason to read more books, watch more movies, have more conversations. They enrich us in ways we may not ever realize.
Great story, and great insight: what we have read, what we have seen (movies, TV), what conversations we have, all feed our imaginations. We may not consciously remember every influence, but all our endeavors (art, music, literature) reflect the early imprinting of others.
YES: read more books, watch more movies, have more conversations. They enrich us in ways we may not ever realize.
That's why, when something strikes me as being original, I am very impressed.
I'm glad I helped initiate some of the initial kernels.
This is similar to one of Stephen King's fiction writing strategies. He puts the characters in a precarious situation first and goes from there without knowing where the story will end up. He lets the situation bring out the character and plot.
We're living through some fascinating times, absolutely, and it's only accelerating. Quantum computers will likely be the next big leap forward, hopefully we'll land on our feet when it's all said and done.