if only they were like people... just a little bit....

Domin Oh Helena! Nobody could hate man as much as man! Give a man a stone and he’ll throw it at you Just carry on!

Helena Oh, don’t talk like that, Harry, it was so horrible that we could never understand each other! Such a cruel strangeness between us and them. And that’s why... you see...

Domin Go on.

Helena... that’s why I asked Gall to change the robots. It wasn’t him who wanted to do it, I promise you.

Domin But he did do it.

Helena Because I wanted him to.

Dr. Gall I did it for my own sake, as an experiment.

Helena Oh, Gall, that isn’t true. Before I asked you I knew you couldn’t refuse me.

Domin Why not?

Helena You know why not, Harry.

Domin Yes, because he loves you-like we all love you.

(pause)

Hallemeier (goes to window) There are more of them again, now. It’s as if they were springing up out of the earth.

Busman Helena, what will you give me if I act as your advocate.

Helena Me?

Busman You, or Gall. As you like.

Helena What difference does it make?

Busman Just morally. We’re looking for someone to blame. That’s the usual way to find consolation when something bad happens.

Domin Doctor Gall; how do you square your... your extra-mural activities with your contract?

Busman Excuse me, Domin. Gall; when did you actually start playing around in this way?

Dr. Gall Three years ago.

Busman Aha. And how many robots did you change, in total?

Dr. Gall I only performed a number of experiments, no more than a few hundred.

Busman Thank you very much, Gall. Now that’s enough, children. This means that out of a million old, properly functioning robots just one will have been one of Gall’s reformed models. Do you see what I mean?

Domin So that means...

Busman... that it has practically no significance at all.

Fabry Busman is right.

Busman I think I am. And now, lads, do you know what really caused all this to happen?

Fabry What?

Busman The number of them. We made too many robots. Dear me, it’s only what we should have been expecting; as soon as the robots became stronger than people this was bound to happen, it had to happen, you see? Haha, and we did all that we could to make it happen as soon as possible; you Domin, you Fabry, and little me, Busman.

Domin So you think it’s the fault of all of us.

Busman You’re quite right. How could you ever have thought the managing director was in charge of production? Production is governed by supply and demand. Everywhere in the world they wanted to have their robots, and all we did was respond to the flood of orders. And all the time we were talking nonsense about technology, sociology, progress, and all sorts of interesting matters. How could talk of this sort chit-chat decide how things were going to turn out? Meanwhile, things gathered their own momentum, getting faster and faster and faster. Every miserable, greedy, dirty new order added its own pebble to the avalanche. That’s what happened, children.

Helena Busman, that’s horrible!

Busman It is, Helena. I had my own dreams, too. A Busman sort of dream about anew economic order; a beautiful fantasy, Helena, a shame to speak of it. But just now, while I was doing the accounts, it occurred to me that history is not about great dreams; it’s about the day to day needs of all the little people, the honest ones, the slightly dishonest ones, the selfish ones; about everyone. And all these thoughts and loves and plans and heroic deeds, all these noble things are worth nothing more than something to clutter up the museum of the universe, under the heading ‘Mankind’. And that’s all. And now, will somebody tell me what we’re going to do now?

Helena And is it for the sake of that that we’re all going to die?

Busman Don’t put it so harshly, Helena. We’re not all going to die. At least, I am not. I want to stay alive so that...

Domin And what are you going to do about it?

Busman But Domin, dear boy, I want to get out of here.

Domin (standing over him) How?

Busman For good. When I do things I always do them for good. Give me your full authority, and I will go and negotiate with the robots.

Domin For good?

Busman Of course. Let’s suppose I go to them, and I say, “Dear robots, happy race, you have everything. You have intelligence, you have power, you have weapons; but we have a rather interesting little piece of paper, a rather old, yellowing, dirty piece...”

Domin Rossum’s manuscript?

Busman That’s right. “And this piece of paper,” I’ll say to them, “tells us all about your great origins, your noble manufacture, and so on. My dear robots, without the scribbles on this piece of paper you will be unable to make a single new robot to keep you company: in twenty years, if you don’t mind my saying so, you will die out like flies. And that would be such a terrible pity for you. I’ll tell you what,” I’ll say to them, “why don’t you let all of us people here on Rossum’s island get onto that boat. In exchange, we’ll let you buy the factory and the whole island from us, and even include the secret of your manufacture. Let us sail away, in the peace of God, and we’ll let you, in the peace of God, continue manufacturing yourselves-twenty thousand, fifty thousand, a hundred thousand or more of you every day. My dear robots, this is a fair deal that I’m putting to you. Something for something.” That is what I would say to them, lads.

Domin And do you really think we should let the secret of production out of our hands?

Busman I do. And if not for good, then, er... Either we sell it to them or they find it here. However you like.

Domin We could destroy Rossum’s manuscript, though.

Busman Dear me, yes, we could destroy everything, not just the manuscript but ourselves as well and many other things. You should do as you think fit.

Hallemeier (turning back from window) Damn it, he’s right, you know.

Domin To actually sell them the means of production?

Busman As you like.

Domin There are... there are more than thirty people here on the island. We can either sell the robots the means of production and save those human souls, or we can destroy it and... it along with ourselves and everything.

Helena Harry, please...

Domin Wait, Helena. We’re talking about a serious matter here. What do you think, lads, to sell it or destroy it? Fabry?

Fabry Sell it.

Domin Gall.

Dr. Gall Sell.

Domin Hallemeier.

Hallemeier Well for God’s sake of course we should sell it!

Domin Alquist.

Alquist The will of God.

Busman Haha, dear me, you’re all mad! Why would anyone sell the whole manuscript?

Domin Let’s not become liars, Busman!

Busman (jumping up) Nonsense! For the sake of mankind the...

Domin It’s in the interest of mankind to be honest.

Hallemeier I should hope so too.

Domin Lads, this is a tremendous step we’re taking. We’ll selling the fate of mankind; whoever holds the secret of production in his hand will be the master of the world.

Fabry Sell it!

Domin Mankind would never be free of the robots, it would never be possible to regain control of them...

Dr. Gall Just stop all this and sell the manuscript!

Domin The end of human history, the end of civilisation...

Hallemeier Damnation, just sell it!

Domin Alright lads! I myself,.... I wouldn’t hesitate a moment; for those people who I love....

Helena Harry, is it me you’re asking?

Domin No, that would be too much responsibility. This isn’t something for a girl like you.

Fabry Who’ll be the one to negotiate...?

Domin Wait. Just wait while I get the manuscript. (exit left)

Helena Harry, please no, don’t go in there!

(pause)

Fabry (looking out window) To escape from you, thousand headed death; from you, destroyed material and mindless hordes; the flood, the flood, mankind is once again to be saved on a single ship.

Dr. Gall You needn’t worry, Helena; we’ll sail far away from here and establish a colony that will be better than any other; we can make a new beginning...

Helena Oh, Gall, do be quiet!

Fabry (turning back) Helen, life is worth living; and if it’s up to us we will... we’ll do something that we’ve so far been neglecting. Just one boat to start with, and then a little farm; Alquist can build us a house and you can be in charge over all of us. You’re so full of much love, so much life...

Hallemeier I should say so.

Busman Well I, for one, would certainly be happy to start all over again. Everything simple, a pastoral life just like the Old Testament. All that peace, all that fresh air...

Fabry Our farm would give birth to a new mankind. A little island where the human race would start again, where it would gather new strength, strength of body and of soul. And God knows, as I believe myself, that after a few years we could reclaim the world.

Alquist You’re a believer now, are you?

Fabry I’m a believer, now. And I believe man will reclaim the world and become, once again, the lord of the land and the sea; that He will give rise to countless numbers of heroes who will lead the way out into the world with a soul that blazes with light. I believe, Alquist, that He will once again dream of conquering the planets and the suns.

Busman Amen. So you see, Helena, the situation isn’t really all that bad.

(Domin throws open door and enters)

Domin (rasping) Where is old Rossum’s manuscript?!

Busman It’s in your safe. Where else would it be?

Domin What’s happened to old Rossum’s manuscript?! Who’s... stolen it?

Dr. Gall That’s not possible!

Hallemeier Hell no! That’s just....

Busman Dear Lord, that can’t be right!

Domin Who stole it?

Helena (standing) I did.

Domin Where did you put it?

Helena Harry, Harry, I’ll tell you everything! Oh God, please forgive me!

Domin Where did you put it? Quickly!

Helena I burned them. This morning. Both copies.

Domin You burned them? Here in this fireplace?

Helena (throws herself down on knees) Oh God, Harry!

Domin (runs to fireplace) Burned it! (kneels at fireplace and rakes it over with poker) Nothing, there’s nothing here but ashes! Ah, here’s something! (pulls out charred piece of paper, and reads) “... and add... “

Dr. Gall Let me see it. (takes paper and reads) “... and add the biogene to....”, and that’s all.

Domin (standing) Nothing else?

Dr. Gall Nothing.

Busman God almighty!

Domin We’ve had it, then.

Helena Oh, Harry

Domin Stand up, Helena!

Helena Forgive me first, please forgive me...

Domin Yes, just stand up, d’you hear me? I can’t stand it when...

Fabry (lifting her up) Please, don’t torture us.

Helena (standing) Harry, what have I done?!

Domin Yes, you’ll see.-Please sit down.

Hallemeier Your hands are really shaking!

Busman Haha, well Helena, maybe Gall and Hallemeier will know what the manuscript said by heart.

Hallemeier Course we do. Well, a few things at least.

Dr. Gall Yes, almost all of it, apart from the biogene and, er, and the omega enzyme. It was so infrequent that those things had to be made, they were only used in tiny quantities...

Busman Who was it who made them?

Dr. Gall That was me... once in a while...