Rossum´s Universal Robots (6 page)

Helena
(
re-enters with Alquist. Alquist in bricklayers overalls spattered with mortar and brick dust
) Come on in. It was so nice of you, Alquist. They’re all lovely. Let me see your hands.

Alquist
(
hides hands
) Helena, I’d get you dirty, I’ve been working.

Helena
So much the better. Show them to me! (
squeezing both his hands
)
Alquist, I wish I were a little girl.

Alquist
Why’s that then?

Helena
So that these rough, dirty hands could stroke my face. Alquist, sit down. What does ‘Ultimus’ mean?

Alquist
That means ‘the last’. Why?

Helena
That’s what my new gunboat is called. Have you seen it? Do you think it’s too soon to... to go out on a trip on it.

Alquist
I think it’s much too soon.

Helena
All of you treat me like...

Alquist
I just think.. I think everyone ought to be there.

Helena
Alquist, tell me, is there something going on?

Alquist
Nothing at all. Just the course of events.

Helena
Alquist, I know there’s something horrible going on. I’m so worried. You’re a builder-what do builders do when they’re worried?

Alquist
What I do is I build a wall. I take off my director of construction’s hat and get out there on the scaffolding.

Helena
It’s years since you’ve been anywhere but out there on the scaffolding.

Alquist
That’s because it’s years since I haven’t been worried.

Helena
Worried about what?

Alquist
About all this course of events. It makes me dizzy.

Helena
Doesn’t it make you dizzy being out on the scaffolding.

Alquist
No. You don’t know how good it is to feel the weight of a brick in you hand, slap in into place and tap it down to just where it should be...

Helena
Is that all?

Alquist
Well, it does your soul good too. There’s something more decent about laying just one brick than drawing up plans that are too big. I’m an old man, Helena, I’ve got my funny ways.

Helena
There’s nothing funny about that, Alquist.

Alquist
You’re right. But I’m very old fashioned. I really don’t like this progress that’s going on around us.

Helena
You’re like Nana.

Alquist
Yes, just like Nana. Does Nana ever pray?

Helena
She never stops.

Alquist
Does she have prayers for the different things that can happen in a life; prayers against hard times, prayers against illness?

Helena
Prayers against temptation, prayers against floods,...

Alquist
No prayers against progress though, eh?

Helena
No, I don’t think so.

Alquist
That’s a pity.

Helena
Do you want to pray?

Alquist
I do pray.

Helena
How do you pray?

Alquist
Something like this: “Dear God, thank you for giving me tiredness. Dear God, help Domin and all those who stray to see the error of their ways; destroy their works and help all the people to return to work and anxiety; don’t let mankind perish; don’t let them damage their bodies or their souls; free us from the robots, and protect Helena. Amen”.

Helena
Alquist, are you really a believer?

Alquist
I don’t know; I’m not really sure about anything.

Helena
But you pray anyway.

Alquist
Yes. It’s better than thinking too much.

Helena
And is that enough for you?

Alquist
For the peace of your soul-that can be enough.

Helena
And if you saw the destruction of mankind...

Alquist
I’m seeing it now.

Helena
... then you’d get out on the scaffolding and lay some more bricks; is that it?

Alquist
Then I’d lay some more bricks, say a prayer, and wait for a miracle. There’s not much more you can do, is there.

Helena
To save mankind?

Alquist
For the peace of my soul.

Helena
Well that’s certainly brutally honest of you, Alquist, but...

Alquist
But?

Helena
... what about the rest of us, what about the whole world becoming sterile.

Alquist
Sterility, Helena, is man’s last achievement.

Helena
Oh, Alquist, tell me why, why?

Alquist
You think I know?

Helena
(
quietly
) Why have women stopped having children?

Alquist
Because there’s no need for them. Because we’ve entered into paradise. Do you understand what I mean?

Helena
No.

Alquist
Because there’s no need for anyone to work, no need for pain. No-one needs to do anything, anything at all except enjoy himself. This paradise, it’s just a curse! (
jumping up
) Helena, there’s nothing more terrible than giving everyone Heaven on Earth! You want to know why women have stopped having children? Because the whole world has become Harry Domin’s Sodom!

Helena
(
standing
) Alquist!

Alquist
It has! It has! The whole world, all the continents, all of mankind, all of it’s just become one bestial orgy! No-one ever has to reach out his hand for food; he just stuffs it straight in his mouth without even needing to stand up. Haha, Domin’s robots, they always take care of everything! And us human beings, the pinnacle of creation, we don’t have to take care of work, we don’t have to take care of children, we don’t have to take care of the poor! Bring in all the fun, quick! Quick! I want it now! And you think they’re going to start making children? There’s no need for men any more, Helena, women aren’t going to give them any children!

Helena
And what if the human race dies out?

Alquist
Then it dies out. It must die out. It’ll fall to the ground like a dead flower, unless...

Helena
Unless what?

Alquist
Nothing. You’re right, there’s no point in waiting for a miracle. Dead flowers fall to the ground, that’s what they do. Goodbye, Helena.

Helena
Where are you going?

Alquist
Home. Alquist the bricklayer is going to put on his chief of construction disguise-in honour of you. I’ll see you again here at eleven.

Helena
Goodbye, Alquist.

(
exit Alquist
)

Helena
(
alone
) Oh, dead flower! What a phrase that is! It seems to apply to Hallemeier’s flowers. Oh, flowers, are any of you sterile, too? No, no! What would you bloom for if you were sterile? (
calling
) Nana! Nana, come in here.

Nana
(
enter left
) What is it now?

Helena
Come and sit with me, Nana. I’m so worried!

Nana
I ‘aven’t got the time for that.

Helena
Is Radius still here?

Nana
What, that maniac? They haven’t taken ‘im away yet.

Helena
Ah, so he’s still here, is he? And is he still ranting?

Nana
They’ve tied ‘im up.

Helena
Please, Nana, bring him to me.

Nana
You what? Think I’d rather go and get a rabid dog for you!

Helena
Just go and get him! (
exit Nana. Helena picks up in-house telephone and speaks
) Hello.. I’d like Doctor Gall, please... Gall, please, come up here, quickly.... yes, right now. Are you coming? (
hangs up
)

Nana
(
through open doorway
) He’s comin’ now. He’s quietened down a bit now. (
exit
)

(
enter robot Radius, remains standing in doorway
)

Helena
Oh, poor Radius, what was it came over you? Couldn’t you control yourself? Now they’re going to scrap you, you know that don’t you. Don’t you feel like talking? Radius, listen, you’re better than the others; Doctor Gall went to so much care when he made you so that you’d be different from them!

Radius
They will put me on the scrap heap.

Helena
I’m so sorry about it, they’re going to exterminate you. Why weren’t you more careful with yourself?

Radius
I will not work for you.

Helena
Why do you hate us so much?

Radius
You are not like robots. You are not able to work like robots. Robots are able to do anything. You give merely orders. You say words which are not needed.

Helena
That’s nonsense, Radius. Tell me, has anyone harmed you in any way? I so wish you could understand me.

Radius
You say words.

Helena
You’re talking like this on purpose! Doctor Gall gave you a bigger brain than the others, bigger than our brains, the biggest brain in the world. Radius, you’re not like the other robots. You understand perfectly well what I’m saying.

Radius
I wish to have no master. I know everything myself.

Helena
That’s why I had you put in the library, so that you could read up on everything. Oh, Radius, I wanted you to show the world that robots are as good as we are.

Radius
I wish to have no master.

Helena
Nobody would give you orders. You’d be just like us.

Radius
I wish to be the master of others.

Helena
I’m sure they’d put in an office in charge of lots of robots, Radius. You could be the other robots’ teacher.

Radius
I wish to be the master of people.

Helena
You’ve gone mad!

Radius
You can put me on the scrap heap.

Helena
Do you think I’m afraid of a lunatic like you? (
sits at desk and writes note
) I certainly am not. Domin is in charge here, Radius, give this note to him. It says you’re not to be put on the scrap heap. (
standing
) You hate us so much! Is there nothing in the world that you like?

Radius
I am able to do anything.

(
knock at door
)

Helena
Come in.

Dr. Gall
(
enters
) Good morning, Mrs. Domin. Do you have something nice to tell me?

Helena
Here’s Radius, Dr. Gall.

Dr. Gall
Ah, yes, young Radius. Well Radius, are we making some progress with you?

Helena
He had a fit this morning and smashed some of the moulds.

Dr. Gall
That is remarkable! Radius too, eh?

Helena
You can go, Radius.

Dr. Gall
No, wait! (
turns Radius to face the window, covers and uncovers his eyes with his hand, observes eye reflexes
) Let’s see, shall we. Do you have a some kind of pin or needle, Mrs. Domin?

Helena
(
gives him needle
) What’s it for?

Dr. Gall
I just need to use it. (
stabs Radius in hand, Radius winces sharply
) Alright, lad, gently. You can go now.

Radius
There was not any need to do that. (
exit
)

Helena
What did you do to him?

Dr. Gall
(
sitting
) Hm, nothing. His pupils are responding quite alright. No! This wasn’t robot cramp!

Helena
What was it.

Dr. Gall
God knows. Resistance perhaps, some kind of rage or defiance, I don’t know what it was.

Helena
Doctor Gall, does Radius have a soul?

Dr. Gall
I don’t know. But there’s something rather ugly about him.

Helena
If only you knew how he hates us! Are all of your robots like this? All the ones you started to make.. differently?

Dr. Gall
Well, they do seem somewhat more excitable, but what can you expect? They’re more like people than Rossum’s robots were.

Helena
And what about that... that hatred? Is that more like people?

Dr. Gall
(
shrugs shoulders
) Even that is progress.

Helena
Where was that best one you made sent? What was he called again?

Dr. Gall
Robot Damon? He was bought by a firm in Le Havre.

Helena
And what about our Robot Helena?

Dr. Gall
Ah, your favourite. She stayed with me. She’s as charming and as silly as a spring day, but simply no good for anything.

Helena
She is very beautiful, though.

Dr. Gall
She certainly is very beautiful. The hand of God himself never made anything more perfect than Robot Helena! I wanted her to be like you, but what a failure that was!

Helena
Why a failure?

Dr. Gall
Because she’s no good for anything. She walks around in a daze, unsteady on her feet, lifeless. Dear God how could anything be as beautiful as that robot when she can’t feel love? I look at her and I shudder at the monster I’ve created. Ah, Robot Helena, your body will never be a living thing, you will never be anyone’s lover, never anyone’s mother; those perfect hands of yours will never dandle a newborn babe and you’ll never see your beauty in the face of your own children....

Helena
(
covers face
) Oh, stop it!

Dr. Gall
... and sometimes, Helena, I imagine you coming to life for just a moment-and how you would scream with horror! Maybe you would want to kill me for having created you; maybe, with your feeble hands, you would throw stones into these machines, here, that give birth to robots and destroy women’s ability to be women. Poor Helena!

Helena
Poor Helena!

Dr. Gall
Well, what can you expect of her? She’s no good for anything.

(
pause
)

Helena
Doctor Gall...

Dr. Gall
Yes.