R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)
HELENA. Doctor-- (_Standing near couch._)
DR. GALL. No, no, Radius, I was wrong. I forgot that Madame Domin has
put in a good word for you, and you’ll be left off. (_Listens to
heart_) Ah, that _does_ make a difference. (_RADIUS relaxes. Again
listens to his heart for a reaction_) All right--you can go.
RADIUS. You do unnecessary things-- (_Exit RADIUS L.2._)
DR. GALL. (_Speaks to her--very concerned_) Reaction of the pupils,
increase of sensitiveness. It wasn’t an attack characteristic of the
Robots.
HELENA. What was it, then? (_Sits in couch._)
DR. GALL. (_C._) Heaven knows. Stubbornness, anger or revolt--I don’t
know. And his heart, too.
HELENA. What?
DR. GALL. It was fluttering with nervousness like a _human_ heart. He
was all in a sweat with fear, and--do you know, I don’t believe the
rascal is a Robot _at all_ any longer.
HELENA. Doctor, has Radius a soul?
DR. GALL. (_Over to couch_) He’s got something nasty.
HELENA. If you knew how he hates us. Oh, Doctor, are all your Robots
like that? All the new ones that you began to make in a different way?
(_She invites him to sit beside her. He sits._)
DR. GALL. Well, some are more sensitive than others. They’re all more
human beings than Rossum’s Robots were.
HELENA. Perhaps this hatred is more like human beings, too?
DR. GALL. That too is _progress_.
HELENA. What became of the girl you made, the one who was most like us?
DR. GALL. Your favorite? I _kept_ her. She’s lovely, but stupid. No
good for work.
HELENA. But she’s so beautiful.
DR. GALL. I called her “Helena.” I wanted her to resemble _you_. She is
a failure.
HELENA. In what way?
DR. GALL. She goes about as if in a dream, remote and listless. She’s
without life. I watch and wait for a miracle to happen. Sometimes I
think to myself: “If you were to wake up only for a moment you would
_kill_ me for having _made_ you.”
HELENA. And yet you go _on_ making Robots! Why are no more children
being born?
DR. GALL. We don’t know.
HELENA. Oh, but you must. Tell me.
DR. GALL. You see, so many Robots are being manufactured that people
are becoming superfluous. Man is really a survival, but that he should
die out, after a paltry thirty years of competition, that’s the awful
part of it. You might almost think that Nature was _offended_ at the
manufacture of the Robots, but we still have old Rossum’s manuscript.
HELENA. Yes. In that strong box.
DR. GALL. We go on using it and making Robots. All the universities are
sending in long petitions to restrict their production. Otherwise, they
say, mankind will become extinct through lack of fertility. But the R.
U. R. shareholders, of course, won’t hear of it. All the governments,
on the other hand, are clamoring for an increase in production, to
raise the standards of their armies. And all the manufacturers in the
world are ordering Robots like mad.
HELENA. And has no one demanded that the manufacture should cease
altogether?
DR. GALL. No one has courage.
HELENA. Courage!
DR. GALL. People would stone him to death. You see, after all, it’s
more convenient to get your work done by the Robots.
HELENA. Oh, Doctor, what’s going to become of people?
DR. GALL. God knows. Madame Helena, it looks to us scientists like the
end.
HELENA. (_She looks out front. Rising_) Thank you for coming and
telling me.
DR. GALL. (_Rises_) That means that you’re sending me away.
HELENA. Yes. (_Exit DR. GALL L.2. She crosses to L.C. To door L.1. With
sudden resolution_) Nana! Nana! the fire, light it quickly. (_HELENA
exits R._)
NANA. (_Entering L.1_) What, light the fire in the summer?
HELENA. (_Off R._) Yes!
NANA. (_She looks for RADIUS_) Has that mad _Radius_ gone?--A fire
in summer, what an idea? Nobody would think she’d been _married_ ten
years. She’s like a baby, no sense at all. A fire in summer. Like a
baby. (_She lights the fire._)
HELENA. (_Returns from R. with armful of faded papers. Back of couch
to fireplace, L. of NANA_) Is it burning, Nana? All this has got to be
burned.
NANA. What’s that?
HELENA. Old papers, fearfully old. Nana, shall I burn them?
NANA. Are they any use?
HELENA. _No._
NANA. Well, then, burn them.
HELENA. (_Throwing the first sheet on the fire_) What would you say,
Nana, if this was money and a lot of money? And if it was an invention,
the greatest invention in the world?
NANA. (_R. of fireplace_) I’d say burn it. All these new-fangled things
are an offense to the Lord. It’s downright wickedness. Wanting to
improve the world after He has made it.
HELENA. Look how they curl up. As if they were alive. Oh, Nana, how
horrible!
NANA. Here, let me burn them.
HELENA. (_Drawing back_) No, no, I must do it myself. Just look at the
flames. They are like hands, like tongues, like living shapes. (_Raking
fire with the poker_) Lie down, lie down.
NANA. That’s the end of them. (_Fireplace slowly out._)
HELENA. Nana, Nana!
NANA. Good gracious, what is it you’ve burned? (_Almost to herself._)
HELENA. Whatever have I done?
NANA. Well, what is it? (_MEN’S laughter off L.2._)
HELENA. Go quickly. It’s the gentlemen calling.
NANA. Good gracious, what a place! (_Exits L.1._)
DOMIN. (_Opens door L.2_) Come along and offer your congratulations.
(_Enter HALLEMEIER and DR. GALL._)
HALLEMEIER. (_Crosses to R.C._) Madame Helena, I congratulate you on
this festive day.
HELENA. Thank you. (_Coming to C._) Where are Fabry and Busman?
DOMIN. They’ve gone down the harbor. (_Closes the door and comes to C._)
HALLEMEIER. Friends, we must _drink_ to this happy occasion.
HELENA. (_Crosses L._) Brandy? With soda water? (_Exits L.1._)
HALLEMEIER. Let’s be temperate. No soda.
DOMIN. What’s been burning here? Well, shall I tell her about it?
DR. GALL. (_L.C._) Of course. It’s all over now.
HALLEMEIER. (_Crosses to DOMIN. Embracing DOMIN_) It’s all over now.
It’s all over now. (_They dance around DR. GALL in a circle._) It’s all
over now.
DOMIN. (_In unison_) It’s all over now. (_They keep repeating. Keep it
after HELENA is on._)
HELENA. (_Entering L.1 with decanter and glasses_) What’s all over now?
What’s the matter with you all? (_She puts tray on L.C. table. DR. GALL
helps her to pour the drinks._)
HALLEMEIER. (_Crosses to back of table_) A piece of good luck. Madame
Domin! (_ALL ad lib._) Just ten years ago today you arrived on this
island. (_HALLEMEIER crosses to table for drink._)
DR. GALL. And now, ten years later to the minute-- (_Crosses to L. of
HALLEMEIER._)
HALLEMEIER. The same ship’s returning to us. So here’s to luck.
(_Drinks. DOMIN with great exuberance has gone out in the balcony and
looks over the harbor._)
DR. GALL. Madame, your health. (_ALL drink._)
HALLEMEIER. That’s fine and strong.
HELENA. Which ship did you mean?
DOMIN. (_Crosses down to C. HELENA gives him his drink and she crosses
to front of couch_) Any ship will do, as long as it arrives in time. To
the ship. (_Empties his glass._)
HELENA. You’ve been waiting for the ship? (_Sits on couch._)
HALLEMEIER. Rather. Like Robinson Crusoe. Madame Helena, best wishes.
Come along, Domin, out with the news. (_GALL has sat L. of L.C. table,
drinking. HALLEMEIER back of table R.C._)
HELENA. Do tell me what’s happened?
DOMIN. First, it’s all up. (_He puts brandy glass on L.C. table.
HALLEMEIER sits on table, upper end._)
HELENA. What’s up?
DOMIN. The revolt.
HELENA. What revolt?
DOMIN. Give me that paper, Hallemeier. (_HALLEMEIER hands paper. DOMIN
reads_) “The first National Robot organization has been founded at
Havre, and has issued an appeal to the Robots throughout the world.”
HELENA. I read that.
DOMIN. That means a revolution. A revolution of all the Robots in the
world.
HALLEMEIER. By Jove, I’d like to know--
DOMIN. (_C._) Who started it? So would I. There was nobody in the world
who could affect the Robots, no agitator, no one, and suddenly this
happens, if you please.
HELENA. What did they do?
DOMIN. They got possession of all firearms, telegraphs, radio stations,
railways and ships.
HALLEMEIER. And don’t forget that these rascals outnumbered us by at
least a thousand to one. A hundredth _part_ of them would be enough to
_settle_ us.
DOMIN. Remember that this news was brought by the last steamer. That
explains the stoppage of all communication, and the arrival of no more
ships. We knocked off work a few days ago, and we’re just waiting to
see when things are to start _afresh_.
HELENA. Is that why you gave me a warship? (_GALL fills DOMIN’S glass._)
DOMIN. Oh, no, my dear, I ordered that six months ago. Just to be sure
I was on the safe side. But, upon my soul, I was sure then that we’d
be on board today.
HELENA. Why six months ago?
DOMIN. Well, there were _signs_, you know. But that’s of no
consequence. (_Gets glass_) To think that this week the whole of
civilization has been at _stake_. Your health, my friends.
HALLEMEIER. Your health, Madame Helena. (_ALL drink to HELENA._)
HELENA. You say it’s all over?
DOMIN. Absolutely.
HELENA. How do you know?
DR. GALL. The boat’s coming in. The regular mail boat, exact to the
minute by the timetable. It will dock punctually at eleven-thirty.
DOMIN. Punctuality is a fine thing, my friends. That’s what keeps the
world in order. Here’s to punctuality. (_MEN drink._)
HELENA. Then--everything--is all right?
DOMIN. (_Up C. a step_) Practically everything. I believe they’ve cut
the cables and seized the radio station. But it doesn’t matter if only
the _timetable_ holds good. (_Up to window._)
HALLEMEIER. (_Rises_) If the _timetable_ holds good, human laws hold
good. Divine laws hold good, the laws of the _universe_ hold good,
everything holds good that _ought_ to hold good. (_GALL applauds._)
The timetable is more significant than the gospel, more than Homer,
more than the whole of _Kant_. Madame Helena, the timetable is the
most perfect product of the human mind. Madame Helena, I’ll fill up my
glass. (_GALL hands HALLEMEIER the decanter._)
HELENA. Why didn’t you tell me anything about it?
DR. GALL. Heaven forbid.
DOMIN. You mustn’t be worried with such things. (_Glass on table R.C.;
crosses to back of couch._)
HELENA. But if the revolution had spread as far as here?
DOMIN. You wouldn’t know anything about it.
HELENA. Why?
DOMIN. Because we’d be on board your _Ultimus_ and well out at sea.
Within a month, Helena, we’d be dictating our own terms to the Robots.
HELENA. I don’t understand.
DOMIN. (_Crosses to C. toward GALL and HALLEMEIER_) We’d take something
with us that the Robots could not exist _without_!
HELENA. What, Harry?
DOMIN. (_Turns to HALLEMEIER_) The secret of their manufacture. Old
Rossum’s manuscript. As soon as they found out that they couldn’t
_make_ themselves they’d be on their knees to us.
DR. GALL. (_Rises_) Madame Domin, that was our trump card. I never had
the least fear the Robots would win. How could they against people like
us? (_Up to window. GALL rises and goes out into the balcony._)
HELENA. Why didn’t you tell me? (_She rushes up to the fireplace and
sees the ashes._)
DR. GALL. Why, the boat’s in!
HALLEMEIER. Eleven-thirty to the dot. (_Rising and going onto the
balcony_) The _good old Amelia_ that brought Madame Helena to us.
(_DOMIN goes out onto the balcony._)
DR. GALL. Just ten years ago to the minute.
HALLEMEIER. They’re throwing out the mailbags.
DOMIN. Busman’s waiting for them. And Fabry will bring us the first
news. You know, Helena, I’m fearfully curious to know how they--
(_Crosses to C. She gets away from fire to L. of couch_) --tackled this
business in Europe.
HALLEMEIER. (_Crosses down to table_) To think we weren’t in it, we who