The Project Gutenberg eBook of Moonlight and Robots, by Jerry Dunham
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you
will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before
using this eBook.
Title: Moonlight and Robots
Author: Jerry Dunham
Release Date: October 19, 2021 [eBook #66571]
Language: English
Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOONLIGHT AND ROBOTS ***
Moonlight and Robots
By Jerry Dunham
Thad hated the silly custom demanding a
robot romance. If a man wasn't careful a thing
like that could linger on--after the wedding!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy
May 1955
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Thad Morgan looked around his little room. The two deactivated robots
and the framework that suspended the limp suit hardly left room for him
to move around. At the moment he felt mildly disgusted with this whole
convention.
He asked himself why engagements and marriages had to be surrounded
with tradition and ridiculous games. But, of course, he had to go
through with it. Myrna seemed to have been filled with excitement when
they were discussing the final plans for the ceremony. He might as well
get started. He glanced at the clock; it was almost eight. He picked up
the book of rules and looked at it again.
He re-read the instructions for operating the mechanism. First,
it said, inspect the facsimile and see that it is well-groomed and
entirely in order. He looked at the two lifeless twins of himself.
Yes, they looked all right. He decided which one he would use tonight.
Then, he read, he was to get into the suit (the book called it a
harness), activate the selected facsimile, and set the controls. It
went on to say that every movement he made would be duplicated by the
robot. Everything the facsimile experienced would be transmitted to the
harness becoming his experiences. Well, he had practiced all that since
renting the thing three days ago. He turned towards the marriage game
rules.
The rules dictated seven situations. That would mean, in his case,
seven evenings for Myrna and him to decide whether they were meeting
each other's robots or their real selves.
The book pointed out that the primary or real body had to be used
at least once in the first five situations. The first contestant to
correctly identify the other's real body won the game and the contest
was over. The winner received commendation and was supposed to be the
dominant spouse. Of course, the last was mere convention. However,
the most important, the most rigid, and to Thad the most fantastic,
rule in the whole contest was that if the girl won, the couple was
required to wait a year before completing the marriage ceremony. That
seemed a weightier matter to Morgan. He read on. The first contestant
who correctly identified the other as a facsimile won a point. If
he failed, the other contestant had the opportunity to make an
identification. The situation ended when one contestant made a correct
identification or when both failed. Laying the book down, he decided
he'd better get started because it was getting late.
He climbed into the harness and hung in mid-air suspended by his belt.
He activated one of his facsimiles and turned his head so he could see
himself through the robot's eyes. Thumbing his nose, he watched the
creature hanging in the harness do likewise. It gave him an eerie
feeling. Even though he knew he was walking in thin air and getting
nowhere, it really seemed as if he could feel the floor under his feet
and see the room move around him in a very ordinary fashion. As soon as
his facsimile left the room, his mind made the adjustment and it was as
if it were really he strolling nonchalantly down the corridor.
He drove to a florist's shop and started to purchase a corsage.
Abashed, he caught himself. He rushed out of the shop and went home to
put a wallet and handkerchief into his pockets. He would have to be
more careful, he realized. Slips like that might cost him the contest.
With corsage box in hand, he pressed the door bell and waited. He hoped
his plastic flesh was moulded perfectly. It looked all right to him,
but you never could tell what someone else might notice. Myrna opened
the door.
* * * * *
She was lovely and he took her in his arms. Drawing back, he looked at
her dubiously. At least, he thought it was she. His family, her family,
and two or three others, acting as judges and referees in the contest,
stood in the living room watching them. They began to laugh as they saw
his questioning look. It really was rather funny, he decided. Myrna
led him into the room and introduced him to the few he didn't know.
He watched her closely as she opened the box. He thought her fingers
were fumbling a bit. Everyone in the room watched the two of them
intently. They didn't know whether the couple were real or robot
either. At any moment, she might suddenly try to identify him. Maybe he
should take the first chance. She might be fumbling from nervousness,
he realized. If it were really she and he called her a robot, she might
be offended. Girls were like that, but of course, he would have to take
that chance.
"You're a robot," he announced suddenly.
Myrna looked surprised. "Oh, how did you know?" She was crestfallen.
He was congratulated as they all trooped upstairs to help Myrna out of
her harness. Later it was nice to know for sure that it was really her
living flesh in his arms. Then he felt guilty as he realized she was
not in his living arms. He excused himself hurriedly and returned home.
The next evening he was invited to Myrna's home for dinner. He thought
of actually going himself because he knew the food would be good. The
apparatus could transmit heat, cold, and pressure, but it didn't do
much when it came to taste and it couldn't make any sensation in one's
interior.
But he decided it would be too risky. If she identified his facsimile
she would win a point to be sure, but if she identified his real self,
well, that would end the contest and he would have to wait a year to
get married.
He would have to be careful of the food though. She might try to trick
him with something that looked good but tasted terrible, and his
facsimile would eat it just the same.
That night before sending his proxy to Myrna's dinner party, he had his
facsimile stick himself with a pin. The sharp pain made him wince. He
wondered about the mechanics of the machine. He supposed that his pain
was caused by a tiny electrical shock that stimulated a pain nerve. He
realized that the more he could find out about his equipment the better
his chances were of winning.
That evening Myrna was very watchful and very cool. He wondered if she
suspected that she had been loved by a robot the evening before. He had
hardly seated himself at the table when she called him a robot. The
families seemed uproariously amused. He wondered how she had known. He
congratulated her politely and she was allowed to go unidentified since
it was her round.
When his facsimile was brought back to the room, Thad climbed wearily
out of his harness and made himself a cold, uninteresting supper. He
felt lonely. Was Myrna really sore at him? Damn this whole business! He
wished he didn't have to go through all of this.
* * * * *
The next evening he had a plan worked out. He went himself and greeted
her at the door, slammed it shut, and bent towards her to listen. It
would take a moment for the reverberation to reach her room. If she
were a robot, the sound would come through the primary microphone
in the sender and he might be able to hear the faint echo from her
lips. He did, and he immediately announced her as a facsimile. Her
congratulations were hardly more than civil.
He left with no great feeling of triumph.
The next three evenings, she was very distant. He understood why she
didn't meet him at the door anymore, but he couldn't tell why the rest
of her behavior was so cold. She was very lucky, too. She identified
him correctly as a robot each time before he even had time to greet
the rest of the family. The day went very slowly. Thad left the office
early in his uneasiness. Tonight was the seventh and last situation.
He hoped it also wouldn't be their last evening together. At this
point, he hardly knew what to do. If she won the contest, it would be a
whole long year before they could marry. He knew that quite often that
spelled the finish to a romance. On the other hand, if he won, it might
estrange them immediately. She had such pride. What to do?
He decided to forget the robots and go as his real self again. Points
were in her favor anyway. He realized that if she were present by
facsimile, he couldn't possibly win. He might as well be the first
one to guess and be done with it. It wasn't the contest that mattered
anyhow; it was Myrna and what she was feeling.
When he rang the doorbell that evening, the corsage box under his arm
contained orchids. Unexpectedly, it was Myrna that opened the door.
"Hello, _real_ Myrna."
She hesitated for a moment. "Good evening, Thad. Please come in."
He followed her in and greeted the family. She opened the box and for
a moment she seemed impressed. Then she regained her composure. He
accepted her formal thanks as the families milled around admiring the
gift. Everyone seemed slightly restrained. Thad finally phrased the
question that they were all thinking.
"Are you real?"
"Perhaps you could tell if you kissed me," she said with mocking
sweetness.
"Myrna, I'm sorry about that first evening, but I forgot that I wasn't
really there." He wished the family wasn't there so close. All of them
watching and listening made him feel an even greater uneasiness. Oh, he
thought, the hell with this contest!
"Myrna, honey, look, I don't care if it's really you or not. Well, that
is, I mean--"
His voice faded out. He realized he was getting more confused. Someone
snickered. Myrna was watching him with a contemptuous smile curving her
lips. The whole thing suddenly made him mad.
"O.K.! I don't care who wins the contest! I don't care if we do have to
wait a year. I don't even care at the moment if there's going to be a
wedding or not."
He started out of the room dimly aware that he was angrier than he
realized. Myrna caught him in the vestibule.
"Thad! Thad! Wait! Please, I know I was being spiteful. You won the
contest, I'm really me. Please don't go like this. I'd never forgive
myself."
She looked up at him tearfully. He felt himself relenting finally and
smiled. She threw her arms around his neck and he drew her close.
After a very long kiss, she looked up at him and said softly, "Thad,
let's be sure the robots are all sent back to the agency before our
honeymoon."
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOONLIGHT AND ROBOTS ***
Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will
be renamed.
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the
United States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.
START: FULL LICENSE
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the
person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph
1.E.8.
1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when
you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work
on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where
you are located before using this eBook.
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format
other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain
Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
provided that:
* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has
agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation."
* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm
works.
* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
receipt of the work.
* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
www.gutenberg.org
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,
Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without
widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular
state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.
Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org
This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
