* * * * * Now that the watchbirds were rolling off the assembly line in a steady stream, Gelsen allowed himself to relax. A loud contented hum filled his plant. Orders were being filled on time, with top priorities given to the biggest cities in his area, and working down to the smallest towns. "All smooth, Chief," Macintyre said, coming in the door. He had just completed a routine inspection. "Fine. Have a seat." The big engineer sat down and lighted a cigarette. "We've been working on this for some time," Gelsen said, when he couldn't think of anything else. "We sure have," Macintyre agreed. He leaned back and inhaled deeply. He had been one of the consulting engineers on the original watchbird. That was six years back. He had been working for Gelsen ever since, and the men had become good friends. "The thing I wanted to ask you was this--" Gelsen paused. He couldn't think how to phrase what he wanted. Instead he asked, "What do you think of the watchbirds, Mac?" "Who, me?" The engineer grinned nervously. He had been eating, drinking and sleeping watchbird ever since its inception. He had never found it necessary to have an attitude. "Why, I think it's great." "I don't mean that," Gelsen said. He realized that what he wanted was to have someone understand his point of view. "I mean do you figure there might be some danger in machine thinking?" "I don't think so, Chief. Why do you ask?" "Look, I'm no scientist or engineer. I've just handled cost and production and let you boys worry about how. But as a layman, watchbird is starting to frighten me." "No reason for that." "I don't like the idea of the learning circuits." "But why not?" Then Macintyre grinned again. "I know. You're like a lot of people, Chief--afraid your machines are going to wake up and say, 'What are we doing here? Let's go out and rule the world.' Is that it?" "Maybe something like that," Gelsen admitted. "No chance of it," Macintyre said. "The watchbirds are complex, I'll admit, but an M.I.T. calculator is a whole lot more complex. And it hasn't got consciousness." "No. But the watchbirds can _learn_." "Sure. So can all the new calculators. Do you think they'll team up with the watchbirds?" * * * * * Gelsen felt annoyed at Macintyre, and even more annoyed at himself for being ridiculous. "It's a fact that the watchbirds can put their learning into action. No one is monitoring them." "So that's the trouble," Macintyre said. "I've been thinking of getting out of watchbird." Gelsen hadn't realized it until that moment. "Look, Chief," Macintyre said. "Will you take an engineer's word on this?" "Let's hear it." "The watchbirds are no more dangerous than an automobile, an IBM calculator or a thermometer. They have no more consciousness or volition than those things. The watchbirds are built to respond to certain stimuli, and to carry out certain operations when they receive that stimuli."