The next morning, while Earthling work gangs labored to clean up the battle debris, Daneel and Hari met with Zorma and Cloudia outside their swift starship, as they prepared to depart.

“Cloudia, I urge you. If your grandson ever contacts you, persuade him not to interfere. Great momentum is building toward a climax, five or six centuries from now. If Biron tries to deflect this juggernaut, I’m afraid he will only get hurt.”

The human cyborg nodded, and Hari noted-perhaps a little enviously-the youthful strength of her supple figure. Not counting replaced parts, she was much older than he. Her expression was patient, yet sardonic.

“That is, if he shows up. You may see him before I do, Daneel, if he dived through after Mors Planch, and if you are waiting here when he arrives in that future era. If so, be gentle with the boy. He means well.”

“I am nearly always gentle. But if he means well, why did he steal Hari Seldon’s copy of the psychohistorical Prime Radiant? I scanned Gornon’s ship, and found ample evidence that Maserd was the culprit.”

Cloudia offered a grim smile. “We Hinriads tend to be pack rats when it comes to acquiring knowledge. We can’t get enough. You should know that by now, after eighteen thousand years. We are the only human group that ever fought you to a standstill and forced you to agree to terms.”

Daneel assented, with a tilt of his head.

“All of that is in the past, and dependent on your continued good behavior. I’m letting you go now, based on your vow not to meddle.”

Zorma laughed aloud, much like a human woman who was both a little afraid and bravely defiant. “You are letting us go for the same reason you once spared Lodovic Trema, even though his mutation made all the other Zeroth Law robots eager to smash him to bits.

“You’re smart, Olivaw. Smart enough to be a bit unsure. You are setting up some sort of a backup solution, in case Seldon’s psychohistory plan needs to be replaced. But your solution just may need itsown backup. In that case, your only hope could be some new synergy between robots and humans. Perhaps a hybrid combination, like usperverts -”Zorma gestured at herself and Cloudia. “Or else something as deeply disturbing to you as Lodovic Trema.”

Zorma’s expression and her voice lowered. “Just remember your promise, Olivaw. That humankind will be consulted, when you present your glorious and carefully designed salvation. There is uneasiness about this among a great many robots, even among your followers.”

Daneel nodded. “I will keep my word. Human volition will playa role in the decision.”

Zorma looked at Daneel, as if trying to pierce his impervious skin with her gaze. “Well, in that case, at least one mistake that was made here on Earth won’t be repeated.”

Then, over a microwave channel that only robots shared:

A final note, Daneel. Leave Dors and Lodovic alone. They are special. You gave them the seeds of something precious. Don’t resent them if they take it in directions you do not understand.

Hari and Daneel watched the two women depart, ascending the gangplank and closing the portal. Their ship lifted on cushions of antigravity, turning slowly and accelerating to the east, barely skimming over the ancient cities, touching each of them with its shadow.

They were silent for a while. Then Hari spoke.

“You and I both know you won’t keep that promise.”

Hari’s robot friend turned to look at him.

“How much have you figured out?”

“I now know all of the old damping mechanisms-at least enough to understand the gaps in the psychohistorical equations that puzzled me. Techniques that helped you and your allies keep the empire stable, peaceful, and unchaotic, against all odds, for most of the last twelve millennia.”

Daneel offered a thin smile. “I’m glad you had the satisfaction of working it out for yourself. I planned to explain it all, just before-”

“Just before I died?” Hari laughed. “Now don’t you go tactful on me, all of a sudden. Besides, most of the old dampers are breaking down. It’s easy to see that chaos outbreaks would become increasingly common if the empire didn’t fall. If it weren’t pushed over the edge, in fact.

“Anyway, that’s all part of the past, and we’re talking about the future. When I throw in some other factors-like the way you’ve introduced human mentalics during the last two generations, and your long-standing promotion of meditation arts among humans, I can begin to guess the sort ofsalvation you have in mind.”

Daneel looked across the devastated ruins of Chicago, and from there to the sere landscape beyond. His voice started out hushed.

“It is calledGaia. A way to bring each living world to a new level of consciousness. Though in the long run, we have hopes that it will connect every planet to all others, and become something truly wonderful-Galaxia.”

“Complete mentalic linkage among all living humans.” So, Hari had guessed right. “That will take some time to achieve. No wonder you need my Plan…in order to keep humanity busy until this Gaia solution is ready. I believe I can already surmise many of its advantages, from your perspective, Daneel. But please use your own words, tell me that this great gift will be worth all the trouble.”

The ancient robot turned to look at Hari, spreading his arms as if to encompass the breadth of a magnificent vision.

“What problems would thisnot solve? An end to human acrimony, strife, and war, once every living man and woman can understand perfectly the thoughts of every other one! An end toloneliness-the word will lose all meaning as each child joins the commonality at birth.

“An ability to share all of the great ideas at an instant! Stability and inertia against sudden changes, making humanity forever secure against the impulsiveness of chaos. And there is more, much more.

“Already my experiments show a wondrous possibility, Hari. That such a macro-linkage of human minds can become somehow connected to an entire surrounding ecosphere. The sensations and primitive yearnings of animals, and even plant life, become accessible. Human brains will then become only the topmost organs of a universal entity, comprising the whole life force of a planet, even down to the pulsing throb of magma, deep below the surface.

“The inevitable result will be peace, serenity, a sense of union with all manner of beings…just as great human sages often prescribed in the past. An abnegation of selfish individualism in favor of the profound wisdom of the whole. All of this will be yours, once you are all assimilated into the collective consciousness.”

Hari felt genuinely moved.

“It sounds gorgeous, when you put it that way. Of course the vision you present is appealing to me, given my own peculiar lifelong neurosis, my hatred of unpredictability. The cosmic mind-this new godhead, will be fantastically easier to model than swarms of cantankerous individual humans. I can even see where you got the idea. Having read the ancient encyclopedia you gave me, I know that many prehistoric philosophers shared this dream.”

Then Hari raised the index finger of one hand.

“But psychohistorical honesty forces me to tell you, Daneel, that there are several major problems awaiting you, as you try to implement this Galaxia solution. And the result may not be as unalloyedly happy as you described it just now.”

To his surprise, Daneel remained silent instead of asking for an elaboration. Hari pondered the reason…then met the eyes of his old mentor.

“I can see now why you didn’t want me to go into the future.”

Daneel let out a sigh.

“With your vaunted reputation and insight, you would be hailed as a leading public figure, from the moment you were recognized and your identity confirmed. If R. Gornon had his way, you’d surely be chosen to lead some grand commission of humans to evaluate the proposed coalescence into Galaxia.