life?.... What do you want, girl? Ah, it’s you. Pour out some water, pour it out! (washes hands) Ah, cleansing, cooling water! A cool stream, you do me good! Oh, my own hands, my own hands! Will I hate you for the rest of my life now?... Keep on pouring, more, more! More water, keep on pouring! What’s your name?
Helena Robot Helena.
Alquist Helena? Why Helena? Who gave you that name?
Helena Mrs. Domin.
Alquist Let me look at you, Helena! Helena you’re called? I won’t be calling you that. Get out. Take the water with you.
(exit Helena with bucket)
Alquist (alone) All for nothing, just nothing! Once again, you haven’t found out a thing! Are you always going to be just groping around in the dark? Do you really think you learn the secrets of nature? Oh God oh God, how that body kept shaking! (opens window) It’s getting light. Another new day and you haven’t progressed an inch. That’s enough now; don’t try any further. Just stop looking, It’s all a waste of time, all a waste of time! Why do mornings still keep on coming? What’s the point of a new day in the graveyard of life? Go away again, light. Don’t come out any more.... God, it’s so quiet, so quiet. Why have you gone quiet, all those voices I used to love. If only... if only I could sleep for a while. (puts light out, lies down on settee and pulls black coat over himself) God, how that body was shaking! Ohh, it’s the end of life!!
(pause)
(Robot Helena enters silently from right)
Helena Primus! Come here, quickly!
Primus (enters) What do you want?
Helena Look at all these tubes he’s got here! What does he do with them?
Primus Experiments. Don’t touch.
Helena (looks into microscope) Look at this, look what’s in here!
Primus That’s a microscope. Let me see!
Helena Don’t touch me! (knocks over test tube) Oh, now I’ve spilt it!
Primus What have you done?
Helena I can wipe it up.
Primus You’ve spoiled his experiment!
Helena Oh, it doesn’t matter. But it’s your fault; you shouldn’t have bumped in tome.
Primus You shouldn’t have called me over.
Helena You didn’t have to come over when I called to you, did you? Primus, look at this! What’s this he’s got written down here?
Primus You’re not supposed to look at that, Helena, that’s a secret.
Helena What sort of secret?
Primus The secret of life.
Helena It’s ever so interesting. All numbers. What is it?
Primus Those are mathematical formulas.
Helena I don’t understand. (goes to window) Primus, come and look at this.
Primus What?
Helena The Sun’s rising!
Primus Alright, I’m coming. (looks through book) Helena, this is the greatest thing in the world.
Helena Come here then!
Primus Alright, alright...
Helena Oh, Primus, leave this horrible secret of life alone! What do you want to know about secrets for anyway? Come and look at this, quickly!
Primus (joins her at window) What is it you want?
Helena Listen. The birds are singing. Oh Primus, I wish I were a bird!
Primus What for?
Helena I don’t know. I just feel so strange, I don’t know what it is, I just feel, sort of, light headed, I’ve lost my head and my body hurts, my heart hurts, everything hurts.... And I won’t even tell you about what’s just happened to me! Oh Primus, I think I’m going to have to die!
Primus Don’t you ever think it might be better dead. Maybe it’s no more than like being asleep. While I was asleep last night I talked with you again.
Helena In your sleep?
Primus In my sleep. We were talking in some strange foreign language, or some new language, so that now I can’t remember a word of it.
Helena What was it about?
Primus I don’t know, nobody knows. I didn’t understand any of it myself but I still knew that I had never said anything more beautiful in my life. What it was, or where it was, I just don’t know. If I’d touched you I could have died. Even the place was entirely different to anything anyone had ever seen in the world.
Helena I found that place for you, Primus, why are you surprised at it? People used to live there, but now it’s all overgrown, and somehow, no-one ever goes there any more. Somehow. Only me.
Primus What is there there?
Helena Nothing, a house and a garden. And two dogs. You should see they way they lick my hands, and their puppies too, oh Primus, I don’t think there’s anywhere nicer anywhere! You let them sit on your lap and you stroke them and soon you aren’t thinking about anything and you aren’t worrying about anything all the time until the Sun goes down. And then when you stand up it’s as if you’d been working and working. Except that I’m no good for doing any work; everyone says I’m no good for anything. I don’t really know what I am.
Primus You’re beautiful.
Helena Me? Don’t be silly, Primus, why are you saying that?
Primus Believe me, Helena, I’m stronger than all the other robots.
Helena (at mirror) Me, beautiful? But my hair is horrible, I wish I could do something about it! Out there in the garden I always put flowers in my hair, although there isn’t any mirror there or anyone to see them (leans down to look in mirror) You, beautiful? What’s beautiful about you? Is hair beautiful if all it does is weigh you down? Are eyes beautiful when you close them? Are lips beautiful if all you do is bite them and then it hurts? What is beautiful, what’s it for?.... (sees Primus in mirror) Is that you Primus? Come here, let me see you next to me. Look at you, your head’s quite different from mine, your shoulders are different, your mouth is different.. Oh Primus, why do you avoid me? Why do I have to spend all my time running after you? And still, you tell me I’m beautiful!
Primus You avoid me, Helena.
Helena Look at how you’ve combed your hair! Let me see (runs both hands through his hair) Oh Primus, there’s nothing that feels like you when I touch you! Let me make you beautiful! (takes comb from wash basin and combs Primus’s hair forward)
Primus Helena, do you ever find that your heart suddenly starts beating hard: Now, now, something’s got to happen now...
Helena (starts laughing) Look at yourself!
Alquist (standing) Wha.... what’s that?... People?.... Who’s comeback?
Helena (puts comb down) What’s ever likely to happen to us, Primus?
Alquist (turns to them) People? You... you... you are people?
(Helena screams and turns away)
Alquist You two are in love? People? Where have you come back from? (touches Primus) Who are you?
Primus Robot Primus.
Alquist What? You, girl, let me see you! Who are you?
Helena Robot Helena.
Alquist Robot? Turn round! What, are you embarrassed? (takes her by shoulder) Let me see you, Robot Helena.
Primus But sir, please leave her alone!
Alquist What’s this, you want to protect her?... Go outside girl.
(Helena runs out)
Primus We didn’t know you were asleep in here, sir.
Alquist When was she made?
Primus Two years ago.
Alquist By Doctor Gall?
Primus Yes, the same as me.
Alquist Well Primus, er, I’ve... er I’ve got some experiments to do on Gall’s robots. All future progress depends on it, do you see?
Primus Yes.
Alquist Good, so take that girl into the dissection room, I’m going to dissect her.
Primus Helena?
Alquist Well of course Helena, that’s what I just said. Now go and get everything ready.... Well go on then! Or should I call in somebody else to get things ready?
Primus (picks up large stick) If you move an inch I will smash your head in!
Alquist Alright then, smash my head in. And what will the robots do then?
Primus (throws himself down on knees) Please sir, take me in her place! I was made in just the same way as she was, from the same materials on the same day! Take my life, sir! (bares his chest) Cut here, here!
Alquist No, it’s Helena I want to dissect. Get on with it.
Primus Take me instead of her; cut into this chest of mine, I won’t even cry out, I wont’ even sigh! Take my life, a hundred times, take my...
Alquist Steady on there, lad. Don’t go on so much. How come you don’t want to live?
Primus Not without her, no. I don’t want to live without her, sir. You can’t kill Helena! What difference does it make to you to take my life instead?
Alquist (touches his head gently) Hm, I don’t know... listen, lad, you think about it. It’s hard to die. And, you know, it’s better to live.
Primus (standing) Don’t be afraid, sir, just cut. I’m stronger than she is.
Alquist (rings) Oh Primus, it’s so long since I was young! Don’t worry-nothing’s going to happen to Helena.
Primus (re-covers chest) I’m on my way, sir.
Alquist Wait.
(enter Helena)
Alquist Come here, girl, let me look at you. So you are Helena. (strokes her hair) Don’t be frightened, don’t run away. Do you remember Mrs. Domin? Oh Helena, she had very lovely hair! No, no, you don’t want to look at me. So, is the dissection room ready now?
Helena Yes sir.
Alquist Good, and you will be my assistant. I’ll be dissecting Primus.
Helena (screams) Primus?
Alquist Well yes, yes, it has to be him, you see. I did want.. really... yes it was you I was going to dissect, but Primus offered himself in your place.
Helena (covers her face) Primus?
Alquist Well yes, of course, what does it matter? So child, you’re capable of crying! Tell me, what’s so important about Primus?
Primus Don’t make her suffer, sir!
Alquist It’s alright Primus, it’s alright. No what are all these tears for, eh? It just means Primus won’t be here any more. You’ll have forgotten about him in a week’s time. Go on now, and be glad you’re still alive.
Helena (quietly) I will go.
Alquist Where will you go?
Helena You can dissect me.
Alquist You? You’re beautiful, Helena. That would be such a shame.
Helena I’m going in there. (Primus stands in her way) Let me go, Primus! Let me go in there.
Primus No you can’t go in there, Helena. Please get away from here, you shouldn’t be here at all!
Helena Primus, if you go in there I’ll jump out the window, I’ll jump out the window!
Primus (holding on to her) I won’t let go of you (to Alquist) You’re not going to kill anyone, old man!
Alquist Why not?
Primus Because.. because... we belong to each other.
Alquist You’re quite right (opens door, centre) It’s alright. Go, now.
Primus Go where?
Alquist (whisper) Wherever you like. Helena, take him away. (pushes her out) Go on your way, Adam. Go on your way, Eve. You will be his wife. You, Primus, will be her husband.
(closes door behind them)
Alquist (alone) Blessed day! (tiptoes across to bench and pours test-tubes out on floor) The blessed sixth day! (sits at desk, throws books on floor; then opens Bible and reads) “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (stands) And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” (goes to centre of room) The sixth day. The day of Grace. (falls to knees) Lord, now let test Thou Thy servant depart in peace... your most worthless servant, Alquist. Rossum, Fabry, Gall, great inventors, but what was the greatness of your inventions compared to that girl, that boy, compared to that first couple that invented love, tears, a lover’s smile, the love between man and woman? Nature, life will not disappear from you! My friends, Helena, life will not perish! Life begins anew, it begins naked and small and comes from love; it takes root in the desert and all that we have done and built, all our cities and factories, all our great art, all our thoughts and all our philosophies, all this will not pass away. It’s only we that have passed away. Our buildings and machines will fall to ruin, the systems and the names of the great will fall like leaves, but you, love, you flourish in the ruins sow the seeds of life in the wind. Lord, now let test Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes... for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation... seen salvation through love-and life will not perish! (standing) Will not perish! (stretches out hands) Will not perish!
About the Author
Karel Čapek
January 9, 1890-December 25, 1938
The word robot comes from the word robota meaning literally serf labor, and, figuratively, “drudgery” or “hard work” in Czech, Slovak and Polish. The origin of the word is the Old Church Slavonic rabota “servitude” (“work” in contemporary Russian), which in turn comes from the Indo-European root *orbh-.
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