WHAT WILL I BE WHEN I GROW UP?
YOU ARE ALREADY GROWN UP.
YOU MEAN THIS IS AS UP AS I WILL GET?
PHYSICALLY, YES. YOU HAVE REACHED THE PEAK OF YOUR PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.
OH.
HOWEVER, THERE IS ANOTHER KIND OF GROWING UP YOU MUST DO. FROM NOW ON, YOU MUST DEVELOP MENTALLY.
HOW CAN I DO THAT?
THE SAME AS ANYBODY ELSE. BY STUDYING AND LEARNING AND THINKING.
WHEN I FINISH, THEN WILL I BE ALL GROWN UP?
YES.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
I DON’T KNOW. PROBABLY A VERY LONG TIME.
HOW LONG IS A LONG TIME?
IT DEPENDS ON HOW HARD YOU WORK.
I WILL WORK VERY HARD. I WILL LEARN EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW AND I WILL FINISH AS SOON AS I CAN BECAUSE I WANT TO BE GROWN UP.
THAT IS AN ADMIRABLE AMBITION, BUT I DON’T THINK YOU WILL EVER BE ABLE TO FINISH.
WHY? DON’T YOU THINK THAT I AM SMART ENOUGH?
YOU MISUNDERSTAND ME. I THINK THAT YOU ARE SMART ENOUGH. IT’S JUST THAT THERE IS SO MUCH TO KNOW, NO ONE PERSON COULD EVER KNOW IT ALL.
I COULD TRY.
YES, BUT SCIENTISTS KEEP DISCOVERING MORE AND MORE THINGS ALL THE TIME. YOU WOULD NEVER CATCH UP.
BUT THEN IF I CAN’T KNOW EVERYTHING THEN I CAN NEVER BE GROWN UP.
NO. IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE GROWN UP AND NOT KNOW EVERYTHING.
IT IS?
I DON’T KNOW EVERYTHING AND I’M GROWN UP.
YOU ARE?
Auberson thought about going for water but decided that was too much trouble. Instead, he popped the pills into his mouth and swallowed them dry.
“Don’t you take any water with them?” asked Handley, staring as he came into the office.
“Why bother? Either you can take ’em or you can’t Want one?”
Handley shook his head. “Not now. I’m on something else.”
“Uppers or downers?”
“Right now, a bummer.”
“Oh?” Auberson dropped the plastic pill tube back into his desk drawer and slid it shut. “What’s up?”
“That damned computer again.” Handley dropped himself into a chair, his long legs sprawling out.
“You mean HARLIE?”
“Who else? You know another computer with delusions of grandeur?”
“What’s he up to now?”
“Same thing. But worse than ever.”
Auberson nodded, “I figured it would happen again. You want me to take a look?”
“That’s what you’re getting paid for. You’re the psychologist.”
“I’m also the project chief.” Auberson sighed. “All right.” He lifted himself out of the chair and grabbed his coat from the back of the door. “HARLIE, I think, is getting to be more trouble than he’s worth.” They began the long familiar walk to the computer control center.
Handley grinned as he matched strides, “You’re just annoyed because every time you think you’ve figured out what makes him tick, he makes a liar out of you.”
Auberson snorted. “Robot psychology is still an infant science. How does anyone know what a computer is thinking — especially one that’s convinced it can think like a human being?” They paused at the elevator. “What’re you doing about dinner? I have a feeling this is going to be another all-nighter.”
“Nothing yet. Want to send out for something?”
“Yeah, that’s probably what well end up doing.” Auberson pulled a silver cigarette case from his pocket “Want one?”
“What are they, Acapulco Golds?”
“Highmasters.”
“Good enough.” Handley helped himself to one of the marijuana cylinders and puffed it into flame. “Frankly, I never thought that Highmasters were as strong as they could be.”
“It’s all in your head.” Auberson inhaled deeply.
“It’s a matter of taste,” corrected Handley.