R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)
invented the Robots! (_Returning to the armchair._)
HELENA. Harry-- (_Rushing to DOMIN from fireplace._)
DOMIN. What is it?
HELENA. Let’s leave here.
DOMIN. Now, Helena? Oh, come, come.
HELENA. As quickly as possible, all of us!
DOMIN. Why?
HELENA. Please, Harry. Please, Doctor Gall, Hallemeier, please close
the factory.
DOMIN. Why, none of us could leave here now.
HELENA. Why?
DOMIN. Because we’re about to _extend_ the manufacture of the Robots.
HELENA. What, now, now after the revolt?
DOMIN. Yes, precisely, after the revolt. We’re just beginning the
manufacture of a new kind.
HELENA. What kind?
DOMIN. Henceforward we shan’t have just one factory. There won’t
be _Universal_ Robots any more. We’ll establish a factory in every
country, in every state, and do you know what these new factories will
make?
HELENA. No, what?
DOMIN. _National_ Robots.
HELENA. How do you mean?
DOMIN. I mean that each of these factories will produce Robots of a
different color, a different language. They’ll be complete strangers to
each other. (_Turns; takes in HALLEMEIER and GALL_) They’ll never be
able to understand each other. Then we’ll egg them on a little in the
matter of misunderstanding and the result will be that for ages to come
every Robot will hate every other Robot of a different factory mark.
_So humanity will be safe._
HALLEMEIER. (_To each of them_) By Jove, we’ll make Negro Robots and
Swedish Robots and Czechoslovakian Robots, and then--
HELENA. Harry, that’s dreadful.
HALLEMEIER. Madame Domin, here’s to the hundred new factories. The
_National_ Robots. (_GALL back of table L.C._)
DOMIN. Helena, mankind can only keep things going for another hundred
years at the outside. For a hundred years man _must_ be allowed to
develop and achieve the most he can.
HELENA. Oh, _close_ the factory before it’s too late.
DOMIN. I tell you we are just beginning on a bigger scale than ever.
(_Enter FABRY L.2; goes to L. of DOMIN._)
DR. GALL. Well, Fabry?
DOMIN. What’s happened? Have you been down to the boat?
DR. GALL. Let’s hear.
FABRY. Read that, Domin. (_He hands him a pink handbill. When DOMIN
receives the handbill he sees at once that something has happened._)
HALLEMEIER. Tell us, Fabry.
FABRY. (_Falsely_) Well, everything is all right--comparatively. (_To
the other MEN_) On the whole, much as we expected.
DR. GALL. They acquitted themselves splendidly.
FABRY. Who?
DR. GALL. The _people_.
FABRY. (_Hesitating_) Oh, yes, of course. That is--Excuse me, there is
something we ought to discuss alone.
HELENA. (_Touches his arm_) Fabry, have you had bad news?
FABRY. No, no, on the contrary. I only think that we better go into the
office.
HELENA. Stay here. I’ll go. (_Exits L.1._)
DR. GALL. What’s happened?
DOMIN. Damnation! (_Coming down to R.C._)
FABRY. Bear in mind that the _Amelia_ brought whole bales of these
leaflets. No other cargo at all. (_GALL closes the door L.2._)
HALLEMEIER. What? But it arrived on the minute.
FABRY. The Robots are great on punctuality. _Read it_, Domin.
DOMIN. (_R.C. Reads handbill_) “Robots throughout the world. We, the
first International organization of Rossum’s Universal Robots, proclaim
man our enemy, and an outlaw in the universe.” Good heavens, who
_taught_ them these phrases?
DR. GALL. Go on.
DOMIN. They say they are more highly developed than man; stronger and
more intelligent. The man’s their parasite. Why, it’s absurd.
FABRY. Read the third paragraph.
DOMIN. “Robots throughout the world, we command you to kill all
mankind. Spare no man. Spare no woman. Save factories, railways,
machinery, mines and raw materials. Destroy the rest. Then return to
work. Work must not be stopped.” (_Looks at OTHERS._)
DR. GALL. That’s ghastly.
HALLEMEIER. The devil!
DOMIN. “These orders are to be carried out as soon as received.” Then
come the detailed instructions. Is this actually being _done_, Fabry?
FABRY. Evidently. (_BUSMAN rushes in L.2 and collapses on couch R.C._)
By Jove, that was a sprint!
BUSMAN. Well, boys, I suppose you’ve heard the glad news.
DOMIN. Quick on board the _Ultimus_.
BUSMAN. Wait, Harry, wait. There’s no hurry.
DOMIN. Why wait?
BUSMAN. Because it’s no good, my boy. The Robots are already on board
the _Ultimus_.
DR. GALL. That’s ugly.
DOMIN. Fabry, telephone the electrical works. (_FABRY goes to back of
couch._)
BUSMAN. No use, my boy. They’ve charged the air with static.
DOMIN. (_Inspects his revolver_) Well, then, I’ll _go_. (_Starts L.;
stops._)
BUSMAN. Where?
DOMIN. To the electrical works. There are some _people_ still there.
I’ll bring them across. (_Gets as far as L.2 door._)
(_WARN Curtain._)
BUSMAN. Better not try it.
DOMIN. Why?
BUSMAN. Because I’m very much afraid we are surrounded. (_ALL rush out
into the balcony._)
DR. GALL. Surrounded? (_Runs to window_) I rather think you’re right.
(_GALL rushes to balcony._)
HALLEMEIER. By Jove, that’s deuced quick work. (_Going to windows._)
HELENA. (_Runs in L.1. To L._) Harry, what’s this? (_Holds out paper._)
DOMIN. Where did you get it? (_Coming to C._)
HELENA. (_Points to the manifesto of the ROBOTS which she has in her
hand_) The Robots in the kitchen!
DOMIN. Where are the ones that brought it?
HELENA. There, gathered around the house. (_GALL, HALLEMEIER, DOMIN
start down C._)
(_The factory WHISTLE blows. MOB VOICES start._)
DOMIN. The factory whistle! (_FABRY, GALL, HALLEMEIER looking over C.;
then turn R._)
BUSMAN. Noon?
DOMIN. (_Looking at his watch. To HALLEMEIER_) No! That’s not noon yet.
That must be--that’s-- (_Front._)
HELENA. What?
DOMIN. The Robots’ signal--the attack!
(_HELENA clings to DOMIN. FABRY and GALL close the steel shutters on
window C. BUSMAN hurries to window and looks through the shutters.
The Curtain falls quickly with HELENA in DOMIN’S arms. The WHISTLE
blows until the Curtain is down._)
CURTAIN
ACT THREE
SCENE: _HELENA’S drawing-room as before. The room is dark and gray.
The steel shutters which are outside are still closed as at the end
of Act II. ALQUIST is sitting in chair down stage at extreme R. DOMIN
comes into the room, L.2. (Subdued voices.) DR. GALL is looking out
of the window at Center. He is seated in a chair._
DOMIN. (_Gets binoculars from desk; crosses up to window. To GALL_) Any
more of them?
DR. GALL. Yes. There standing like a wall, beyond the garden railing.
Why are they so quiet? It’s monstrous to be besieged with silence.
DOMIN. (_Looking through the barred windows_) I should like to know
what they are waiting for? They must make a start any minute now. If
they lean against the railings it will snap like a match.
DR. GALL. They aren’t armed.
DOMIN. (_Puzzled_) We couldn’t hold our own for five minutes. Man
alive, they overwhelm us like an avalanche. Why don’t they make a rush
for it? I say. (_Turns to GALL._)
DR. GALL. Well?
DOMIN. I’d like to know what will become of us in the next ten minutes.
They’ve got us in a vise. We’re done for, Gall.
DR. GALL. You know, we made one serious mistake.
DOMIN. What?
DR. GALL. We made the Robots’ faces too much alike. A hundred thousand
faces all alike, all facing this way. A hundred thousand expressionless
bubbles. It’s like a nightmare.
DOMIN. You think if they’d been different--
DR. GALL. It wouldn’t have been such an awful sight!
DOMIN. (_Looks through binoculars towards the harbor_) I’d like to know
what they’re unloading from the _Amelia_.
DR. GALL. Not firearms.
FABRY. (_Enters L.2 with a plug-box to which is attached a long cable
or wire. HALLEMEIER following him. FABRY attaches the cable to an
electric installation which is on the floor near the wall, down stage
at L.1 entrance_) All right, Hallemeier, lay down that wire.
HALLEMEIER. (_Just inside the room_) That was a bit of work. What’s the
news? (_Seeing DOMIN and GALL at the window._)
DR. GALL. We’re completely surrounded.
HALLEMEIER. (_Crosses to window_) We’ve barricaded the passages and
the stairs. (_Going to window_) God, what swarms of them. I don’t like
the looks of them, Domin. There’s a feeling of death about it all. Any
water here?
FABRY. Ready!
DR. GALL. (_Turning round in the chair_) What’s that wire for, Fabry?
FABRY. The electrical installation. Now we can run the current all
along the garden railing. (_Up to window_) Whenever we like. If anyone
touches it he’ll know it. We’ve still got some _people_ there anyhow.
DR. GALL. Where?
FABRY. In the electrical works. At least, I hope so. (_Goes to lamp on
table L.C. and turns on lamp_) Ah, they’re there, and they’re working.
As long as that’ll burn we’re all right. (_To window._)
HALLEMEIER. The barricades are _all right_, too, Fabry.
FABRY. _Your_ barricades! I can put twelve hundred volts into that
railing. (_HELENA is playing Rachmaninoff’s Elegie off L.1._)
DOMIN. Where’s Busman? (_DOMIN has left window and is walking up and
down stage across front._)
FABRY. Downstairs in the office. He’s working out some calculations.
DOMIN. I’ve called him. We must have a conference. (_Crosses to L._)
ALQUIST. Thank God Madame Helena can still play. (_HALLEMEIER crosses to
L.1 door, opens it slightly and listens to music. Enter BUSMAN L.2._)
FABRY. Look out, Bus--look out for the wires.
DR. GALL. What’s that you’re carrying?
BUSMAN. (_Laying the books on the table L.C._) The ledger, my boy. I’d
like to wind up the accounts before--before-- (_DOMIN crosses up to
window._) Well, this time I shan’t wait till the New Year to strike a
balance. What’s up? (_Goes to window_) Absolutely quiet.
DR. GALL. Can’t you see anything?
BUSMAN. Nothing but blue--blue everywhere.
DR. GALL. That’s the Robots.
DOMIN. The Robots are unloading _firearms_ from the _Amelia_.
BUSMAN. Well, what of it? How can I _stop_ them? (_Returns to L.C.
table, sits and opens ledger._)
DOMIN. We can’t stop them.
BUSMAN. Then let me go on with my accounts. (_Goes on with his work._)
DOMIN. (_Picks up telescope_) Good God! The _Ultimus_ has trained her
guns on us.
DR. GALL. Who’s _done that_?
DOMIN. The Robots on board.
FABRY. H’m, then of course-- (_Pause_) Then--then that’s the end of us.
(_To R. corner of desk._)
DR. GALL. You mean?
FABRY. The Robots are practised marksmen.
DOMIN. Yes. It’s inevitable. (_Pause._)
DR. GALL. (_Swinging around; looking into room. Pause_) That was
criminal of old Europe to teach the Robots to fight. Damn them.
Couldn’t they have given us a rest with their politics? It was a crime
to make soldiers of them.
ALQUIST. It was a crime to make Robots.
DOMIN. (_Quietly. Down C._) No, Alquist, I don’t regret that even today.
ALQUIST. Not even today?
DOMIN. (_Dreamily_) Not even today, the last day of civilization. It
was a colossal achievement.
BUSMAN. (_Sotto voce_) Three hundred sixty million.
DOMIN. (_From window_) Alquist, this is our last hour. We are already
speaking half in the other world. That was not an evil _dream_ to
shatter the servitude of labor. The dreadful and humiliating _labor_
that man had to undergo. Work was too hard. _Life_ was too hard. And to
overcome that--
ALQUIST. Was not what the two Rossums dreamed of. Old Rossum only
thought of his Godless tricks, and the young one of his milliards. And
that’s not what your R. U. R. _shareholders_ dream of either. They
dream of dividends, and their dividends are the ruin of mankind.
DOMIN. To Hell with your dividends. (_Crossing R. in front of couch_)
Do you suppose I’d have done an hour’s work for them? It was for myself
that I worked, for my own satisfaction. I wanted man to become the