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"Individual science fiction stories may seem as trivial as ever to the blinder critics and philosophers of today -- but the core of science fiction, its essence has become crucial to our salvation if we are to be saved at all."
- Isaac Asimov
 |
| Lawagon | ||
| A police car with extra features. |
This police car can do more than transport officers and suspects. And it doesn't fool around.
| A dark haired man in his early thirties was slumping to his knees, his hands flickering at his sides. Silently the lawagon spun back out of its parking place and rolled nearer to the fallen man.
“There's nobody in that car," said the waitress, dropping a cup of coffee. She must be new to this planet, from one of the sticks systems maybe. “It's my car," said Clemens, flipping the napkin toggle on the table and then tossing her one when it popped up. “Here, wipe your uniform off. That's a lawagon and it knows what it's doing."
 (The lawagon from 'Into the Shop' by Ron Goulart) Out in the lot the lawagon had the man trussed up. It stunned him again for safety and then it flipped him into the back seat for interrogation and identification. “It never makes a mistake," said Clemens to the waitress' back. “I’ve been Marshall in Territory #23 for a year now and that lawagon has never made a mistake. They build them that way." The car had apparently given the suspect an injection and he had fallen over out of sight... ‘This is a public service announcement,” announced the lawagon from its roof speakers. “Sheldon Kloog, wanted murderer, has just been captured by Lawagon A10. Trial has been held, a verdict of guilty brought in, death sentenced and the sentence carried out as prescribed by law. This has been a public service announcement from the Barnum Law Bureau.” ...Clemens cocked his head and looked into the empty back seat. The lawagons had the option of holding murderers for full cybernetic trial in one of the territorial hubs or, if the murderer checked out strongly guilty and seemed dangerous, executing them on the spot. “Where is he?” The glove compartment fell open and an opaque white jar rolled out. Clemens caught it. Earthly Remains Of Sheldon Kloog, read the label. The disintegrator didn't leave much. |
| Technovelgy from Into the Shop,
by Ron Goulart. Published by Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1964 Additional resources -
|
It's no possible that such an advanced mechanism could make a mistake - is it?
“Central has a report that Sheldon Kloog turned himself in at a public surrender booth in a park over in Territory #20 this morning. All the ID material matches. Whereas the stuff we sent shows a complete negative.”
“What are they talking about? We caught Kloog.”
“Not according to Central.”
“It’s impossible. The car. doesn’t make mistakes, Kepling.”
“Central is going to make a full checkup as soon as you get back from this kidnapping case.”
“They’re wrong,” said Clemens. “Okay. So keep me filled in on Dianne Marmon.”
“Right, sir,” said the Jr. Marshall, signing off.
To his lawagon Clemens said, “What do you think is going on? You couldn’t have made a mistake about Sheldon Kloog. Could you?”
The car became absolutely silent and coasted off the road, brushing the invisible shield around the grain fields. Everything had stopped functioning.
“I didn’t order you to pull oflF,” said Clemens.
The car did not respond.
Lawagons weren’t supposed to break down. And if they did, which rarely happened, they were supposed to repair themselves.
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