Robot Dreams (Robot, #0.4)

by Isaac Asimov

But I don’t like to have Nestor 10 continue to elude us. It’s bad. It must be gratifying his swollen sense of superiority. I’m afraid that his motivation is no longer simply one of following orders. I think it’s becoming more a matter of sheer neurotic necessity to out-think humans. That’s a dangerously unhealthy situation.

“And when he said ‘Let my people go,’ then by the words ‘my people’ he meant the robots?” “Yes, Dr. Calvin. So it was in my dream.” “And did you know who the man was—in your dream?” “Yes, Dr. Calvin. I knew the man.” “Who was he?” And Elvex said, “I was the man.”