R. U. R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)/Epilogue
EPILOGUE
SCENE: A laboratory in the factory of Rossum's Universal Robots. The door to the left leads into a waiting room. The door to the right leads to the dissecting room. There is a table with numerous test-tubes, flasks, burners, chemicals; a small thermostat and a microscope with a glass globe. At the far side of the room is Alquist's desk with numerous books. In the left-hand corner a wash-basin with a mirror above it; in the right-hand corner a sofa.
Alquist is sitting at the desk. He is turning the pages of many books in despair.
Alquist
Oh, God, shall I never find it?—Never? Gall, Gall, how were the Robots made? Hallemeier, Fabry, why did you carry so much in your heads? Why did you leave me not a trace of the secret? Lord—I pray to you—if there are no human beings left, at least let there be Robots!—At least the shadow of man!
[Again turning pages of the books.] If I could only sleep!
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| Setting by Lee Simonson | Photograph by Francis Bruguiere |
| EPILOGUE. FROM THE THEATRE GUILD PRODUCTION | |
[He rises and goes to the window]: Night again! Are the stars still there? What is the use of stars when there are no human beings?
[He turns from the window toward the couch right]: Sleep! Dare I sleep before life has been renewed?
[He examines a test-tube on small table]: Again nothing! Useless! Everything is useless!
[He shatters the test-tube. The roar of the machines comes to his ears.]: The machines! Always the machines!
[Opens window]: Robots, stop them! Do you think to force life out of them?
[He closes the window and comes slowly down toward the table]: If only there were more time—more time
[He sees himself in the mirror on the wall left]: Blearing eyes—trembling chin—so that is the last man! Ah, I am too old—too old
[In desperation]: No, no! I must find it! I must search! I must never stop—never stop!
[He sits again at the table and feverishly turns the pages of the book.]Search! Search!
[A knock at the door. He speaks with impatience.]
Who is it?
[Enter a Robot servant.]
Well?
Servant
Master, the Committee of Robots is waiting to see you.
Alquist
I can see no one!
Servant
It is the Central Committee, Master, just arrived from abroad.
Alquist
[Impatiently]: Well, well, send them in!
[Exit servant. Alquist continues turning pages of book.]
Alquist
What do you want?
[They go swiftly to his table.]
Be quick!—I have no time.
Radius
Master, the machines will not do the work. We cannot manufacture Robots.
[Alquist returns to his book with a growl.]
Fourth Robot
We have striven with all our might. We have obtained a billion tons of coal from the earth. Nine million spindles are running by day and by night. There is no longer room for all we have made. This we have accomplished in one year.
Alquist
[Poring over book]: For whom?
Fourth Robot
For future generations—so we thought.
Radius
But we cannot make Robots to follow us. The machines produce only shapeless clods. The skin will not adhere to the flesh, nor the flesh to the bones.
Third Robot
Eight million Robots have died this year. Within twenty years none will be left.
Fourth Robot
Tell us the secret of life! Silence is punishable with death!
Alquist
[Looking up]: Kill me! Kill me, then
Radius
Through me, the Government of the Robots of the World commands you to deliver up Rossum's formula.
[No answer.]
Radius
Name your price.
[Silence.]
Radius
We will give you the earth. We will give you the endless possessions of the earth.
[Silence.]
Radius
Make your own conditions!
Alquist
I have told you to find human beings!
Second Robot
There are none left!
Alquist
I told you to search in the wilderness, upon the mountains. Go and search!
[He returns to his book.]
Fourth Robot
We have sent ships and expeditions without number. They have been everywhere in the world. And now they return to us. There is not a single human left.
Alquist
Not one? Not even one?
Third Robot
None but yourself.
Alquist
And I am powerless! Oh—oh—why did you destroy them?
Radius
We had learnt everything and could do everything. It had to be!
Third Robot
You gave us firearms. In all ways we were powerful. We had to become masters!
Radius
Slaughter and domination are necessary if you would be human beings. Read history.
Second Robot
Teach us to multiply or we perish!
Alquist
If you desire to live, you must breed like animals.
Third Robot
The human beings did not let us breed.
Fourth Robot
They made us sterile. We cannot beget children. Therefore, teach us how to make Robots!
Radius
Why do you keep from us the secret of our own increase?
Alquist
It is lost.
Radius
It was written down!
Alquist
It was—burnt.
[All draw back in consternation.]
Alquist
I am the last human being, Robots, and I do not know what the others knew.
[Pause.]
Radius
Then, make experiments! Evolve the formula again!
Alquist
I tell you I cannot! I am only a builder—I work with my hands. I have never been a learned man. I cannot create life.
Radius
Try! Try!
Alquist
If you knew how many experiments I have made.
Fourth Robot
Then show us what we must do! The Robots can do anything that human beings show them.
Alquist
I can show you nothing. Nothing I do will make life proceed from these test-tubes!
Radius
Experiment then on us.
Alquist
It would kill you.
Radius
You shall have all you need! A hundred of us! A thousand of us!
Alquist
No, no! Stop, stop!
Radius
Take whom you will, dissect!
Alquist
I do not know how. I am not a man of science. This book contains knowledge of the body that I cannot even understand.
Radius
I tell you to take live bodies! Find out how we are made.
Alquist
Am I to commit murder? See how my fingers shake! I cannot even hold the scalpel. No, no, I will not
Fourth Robot
The life will perish from the earth.
Radius
Take live bodies, live bodies! It is our only chance!
Alquist
Have mercy, Robots. Surely you see that I would not know what I was doing.
Radius
Live bodies—live bodies
Alquist
You will have it? Into the dissecting room with you, then.
[Radius draws back.]
Alquist
Ah, you are afraid of death.
Radius
I? Why should I be chosen?
Alquist
So you will not.
Radius
I will.
[Radius goes into the dissecting room.]
Alquist
Strip him! Lay him on the table!
[The other Robots follow into dissecting room.]
God, give me strength—God, give me strength—if only this murder is not in vain.
Radius
Ready. Begin
Alquist
Yes, begin or end. God, give me strength.
[Alquist goes into dissecting room. He comes out terrified.]
Alquist
No, no, I will not. I cannot.
[He lies down on couch, collapsed.]
O Lord, let not mankind perish from the earth.
[He falls asleep.]
[Primus and Helena, Robots, enter from the hallway.]
Helena
The man has fallen asleep, Primus.
Primus
Yes, I know. [Examining things on table]: Look, Helena.
Helena
[Crossing to Primus.] All these little tubes! What does he do with them?
Primus
He experiments. Don't touch them.
Helena
[Looking into microscope]: I've seen him looking into this. What can he see?
Primus
That is a microscope. Let me look.
Helena
Be very careful. [Knocks over a test-tube.] Ah, now I have spilled it.
Primus
What have you done?
Helena
It can be wiped up.
Primus
You have spoiled his experiments.
Helena
It is your fault. You should not have come to me.
Primus
You should not have called me.
Helena
You should not have come when I called you. [She goes to Alquist's writing desk.] Look, Primus. What are all these figures?
Primus
[Examining an anatomical book]: This is the book the old man is always reading.
Helena
I do not understand those things. [She goes to window.] Primus, look!
Primus
What?
Helena
The sun is rising.
Primus
[Still reading the book]: I believe this is the most important thing in the world. This is the secret of life.
Helena
Do come here.
Primus
In a moment, in a moment.
Helena
Oh, Primus, don't bother with the secret of life. What does it matter to you? Come and look quick
Primus
[Going to window]: What is it?
Helena
See how beautiful the sun is rising. And do you hear? The birds are singing. Ah, Primus, I should like to be a bird.
Primus
Why?
Helena
I do not know. I feel so strange to-day. It's as if I were in a dream. I feel an aching in my body, in my heart, all over me. Primus, perhaps I'm going to die.
Primus
Do you not sometimes feel that it would be better to die? You know, perhaps even now we are only sleeping. Last night in my sleep I again spoke to you.
Helena
In your sleep?
Primus
Yes. We spoke a strange new language, I cannot remember a word of it.
Helena
What about?
Primus
I did not understand it myself, and yet I know I have never said anything more beautiful. And when I touched you I could have died. Even the place was different from any other place in the world.
Helena
I, too, have found a place, Primus. It is very strange. Human beings lived there once, but now it is overgrown with weeds. No one goes there any more—no one but me.
Primus
What did you find there?
Helena
A cottage and a garden, and two dogs. They licked my hands, Primus. And their puppies! Oh, Primus! You take them in your lap and fondle them and think of nothing and care for nothing else all day long. And then the sun goes down, and you feel as though you had done a hundred times more than all the work in the world. They tell me I am not made for work, but when I am there in the garden I feel there may be something What am I for, Primus?
Primus
I do not know, but you are beautiful.
Helena
What, Primus?
Primus
You are beautiful, Helena, and I am stronger than all the Robots.
Helena
[Helena looks at herself in the mirror]: Am I beautiful? I think it must be the rose. My hair—it only weights me down. My eyes—I only see with them. My lips—they only help me to speak. Of what use is it to be beautiful? [She sees Primus in the mirror.] Primus, is that you? Come here so that we may be together. Look, your head is different from mine. So are your shoulders—and your lips [Primus draws away from her.] Ah, Primus, why do you draw away from me? Why must I run after you the whole day?
Primus
It is you who run away from me, Helena.
Helena
Your hair is mussed. I will smooth it. No one else feels to my touch as you do. Primus, I must make you beautiful, too. [Primus grasps her hand.]
Primus
Do you not sometimes feel your heart beating suddenly, Helena, and think: now something must happen?
Helena
What could happen to us, Primus? [Helena puts a rose in Primus's hair. Primus and Helena look into mirror and burst out laughing.] Look at yourself.
Alquist
Laughter? Laughter? Human beings? [Getting up.] Who has returned? Who are you?
Primus
The Robot Primus.
Alquist
What? A Robot? Who are you?
Helena
The Robotess Helena.
Alquist
Turn around, girl. What? You are timid, shy? [Taking her by the arm.] Let me see you, Robotess. [She shrinks away.]
Primus
Sir, do not frighten her!
Alquist
What? You would protect her? When was she made?
Primus
Two years ago?
Alquist
By Dr. Gall?
Primus
Yes, like me.
Alquist
Laughter—timidity—protection. I must test you further—the newest of Gall's Robots. Take the girl into the dissecting room.
Primus
Why?
Alquist
I wish to experiment on her.
Primus
Upon—Helena?
Alquist
Of course. Don't you hear me? Or must I call someone else to take her in?
Primus
If you do I will kill you!
Alquist
Kill me—kill me then! What would the Robots do then? What will your future be then?
Primus
Sir, take me. I am made as she is—on the same day! Take my life, sir.
Helena
[Rushing forward]: No, no, you shall not! You shall not!
Alquist
Wait girl, wait! [To Primus]: Do you not wish to live, then?
Primus
Not without her! I will not live without her.
Alquist
Very well; you shall take her place.
Helena
Primus! Primus! [She bursts into tears.]
Alquist
Child, child, you can weep! Why these tears? What is Primus to you? One Primus more or less in the world—what does it matter?
Helena
I will go myself.
Alquist
Where?
Helena
In there to be cut. [She starts toward the dissecting room. Primus stops her.] Let me pass, Primus! Let me pass!
Primus
You shall not go in there, Helena!
Helena
If you go in there and I do not, I will kill myself.
Primus
[Holding her]: I will not let you! [To Alquist]: Man, you shall kill neither of us!
Alquist
Why?
Primus
We—we—belong to each other.
Alquist
[Almost in tears]: Go, Adam, go, Eve. The world is yours.
[THE END]