ACT TWO

(Still in Helena's room.  Helena, left, plays piano.  Domin paces up and down room, Dr. Gall looks out of window and Alquist sits to one side in armchair, his face covered in his hands)

Dr. Gall God, there are still more of them now!

Domin Robots?

Dr. Gall Yes.  There's a wall of them standing at the garden fence.  Why are they so silent?  It's repulsive.  A siege of silence.

Domin I wish I knew what they were waiting for.  It must be about to start any moment.  We've lost, Gall. 

Alquist What is that that Helena's playing?

Domin I don't know.  She's practising something new.

Alquist Ah, so she's still practising?

Dr. Gall Listen Domin, we made a crucial mistake.

Domin (stops)  What mistake?

Dr. Gall We made the faces of the robots too much like one another.  There are a hundred thousand faces staring up at us and they're all the same.  A hundred thousand expressionless bubbles.  This is like a bad dream.

Domin If each of them were different ...

Dr. Gall Then the sight of them wouldn't be so ghastly.  (moves away from window)  At least they're not armed yet!

Domin Hm. - (looks down at harbour through binoculars) I just wish I knew what it was they're unloading from the Amelia.

Dr. Gall Let's just hope it's not weapons.

(enter Fabry through wallpapered door, dragging two electrical wires)

Fabry Excuse me.  Hallemeier, put the wire down.

Hallemeier (following Fabry) Ouf, that was hard work.  Anything new?

Dr. Gall Nothing.  We're completely surrounded.

Hallemeier Well lads, we've got the stairs and the corridors barricaded.  Is there any water there?  Ah, here it is.  (drinks)

Dr. Gall What's this wire for, Fabry?

Fabry You'll see, you'll see.  Are there some scissors?

Dr. Gall Where would we find scissors? (looks for them)

Hallemeier (goes to window) Hell, there are even more of them now!  Have a look at this!

Dr. Gall Would nail scissors be alright?

Fabry Give them to me.  (cuts lead to electric lamp on desk and attaches his wires to it)

Hallemeier (at window) You haven't got a very nice view here, Domin.  It seems ... to have ... the feel of death about it.

Fabry Ready!

Dr. Gall What is?

Fabry The connection.  Now we can put electric current through the whole of the garden fence.  Anyone who touches it has had it.  At least, as long as there are still some of our own down there. 

Dr. Gall Where?

Fabry In the generator room.  At least, I hope ... (goes to fireplace and switches on small light there)  Thank God for that - they're there.  And they're working.  (switches light off)  As long as that light works we're alright.

Hallemeier (turning back from window) Those are good barricades, Fabry.  Now what's that that Helena's playing?  (goes to door, left, and listens.  Enter Busman through wallpapered door carrying enormous  ledgers.  Trips over wire) 

Fabry Mind out, Bus! Mind those wires!

Dr. Gall Hello, what's this you're bringing us?

Busman (puts books on table) These are the important books, children.  I think I'd better get the accounts done before ... before .... well I don't mean to wait until the new year before it's sorted out.  Now what's all this you've got here?  (goes to window)  It's all very quiet down there.

Dr. Gall Can't you see anything?

Busman Nothing apart from a large blue area, it's as if it was strewn with poppy seeds. 

Dr. Gall Those are the robots.

Busman Ah, so that's what it is.  Pity I can't see them.  (sits at desk and opens ledgers)

Domin Forget about that, Busman; the robots are unloading weapons from the Amelia.

Busman So what?  What am I supposed to do about it?

Domin There's nothing we can do to stop them.

Busman So just let me get on with my calculation. (gets on with work)

Fabry It isn't all over yet, Domin.  We've put two hundred volts in through the garden fence and ....

Domin Stop! The Ultimus has just turned its guns in our direction.

Dr. Gall Who's doing that?

Domin The robots on the Ultimus.

Fabry Hm, well in that case of course,  .. then of course, .. then we've had it, lads.  Those robots are trained soldiers. 

Dr. Gall That means that we ...

Domin Yes.  Irrevocably.

(Pause)

Dr. Gall This is just the same old evil as Europe has always committed.  They just couldn't leave their damned politics alone and so they taught the robots to go to war, they took the robots and turned them into soldiers and that was a crime against humanity.

Alquist The crime was making the robots in the first place.

Domin What's that?

Alquist The crime was making the robots !

Domin No Alquist, I don't feel sorry for what I did, even now.

Alquist Not even now?

Domin Not even now, on the last day of civilisation.  It was a magnificent undertaking.

Busman (sotto voce) Three hundred and sixteen million.

Domin (earnestly) Alquist, this is our last hour; it's almost as if we were speaking from the other world already .  Alquist, putting an end to the slavery of labour was not a bad dream.  Work humiliates, anyone who's forced to do it is made small.  The drudgery of labour is something dirty and murderous.  Oh, Alquist, the burden of work was too much for us, life was too heavy for us, and to remove this burden ....

Alquist That was never the dream of either of the Rossums; old Rossum was thinking of Godless rubbish and young Rossum thought of nothing but making millions.  And it's not the dream of RUR shareholders either; their only dream was their dividend.  And it's because of their concern for their profits that mankind is about to perish.

Domin (agitated) The Devil take their dividends!  Do you think I'd have spent an hour of my time for their sakes?  (thumping table)  I did it for myself, d'you hear?  For my own satisfaction!  I wanted mankind to become his own master!  I wanted him not to have to live just for the next crust of bread!  I wanted not a single soul to have to go stupid standing at somebody else's machines!  I wanted to leave nothing - nothing! - left of this damned mess that society's in!  I hate seeing humiliation and pain all around us, I hate poverty!  I wanted to start a new generation!  I wanted to ... I thought that ...

Alquist What?

Domin (quieter) I wanted mankind to become an aristocracy of the world.  Free, unconstrained, sovereign.  Maybe even something higher than human.

Alquist Superhumans, you mean.

Domin Yes.  If only we'd had another hundred years.  Another hundred years for the new mankind. 

Busman (sotto voce) Three hundred and seventy million, carry over.  Like that.

(pause)

Hallemeier (at door, left) Music is a wonderful thing, you know.  You should have been listening.  There's something ennobling about it, soothing ...

Fabry What exactly?

Hallemeier To Hell with this end of mankind!  I think I'm turning into a hedonist, lads.  We should have got into it much earlier.  (goes to window and looks out)

Fabry Into what?

Hallemeier Enjoying ourselves.  Beauty.  Hell, there are so many beautiful things around us!  The world was beautiful, and we ... we here ...   Tell me, lads, what did we ever enjoy?

Busman (sotto voce) Four hundred and fifty two million - excellent.

Hallemeier (at window) Life was great.  My friends, life was ... Ah, Fabry, put a little bit of current into that fence of yours.

Fabry Why!

Hallemeier They're touching it.

Dr. Gall (at window) Switch it on!

Hallemeier Christ, that showed them!  Two, three, four of them killed!

Dr. Gall They're moving back.

Hallemeier Five killed.

Dr. Gall (coming back from window) First strike.

Fabry Have you got the smell of death?

Hallemeier (contented) We've got them cornered, right in a corner.  Haha, you should never give in! (sitting)

Domin (rubs his brow) Perhaps we're just ghosts, dead for a hundred years.  Perhaps we were killed a long long time ago, and we've come back just to recant something we once said ... before we died.  It's as if I'd been through this before!  As if it had all been done to me already.  A shot here, in the neck.  What about you, Fabry?

Fabry What about me?

Domin Shot.

Hallemeier Hell, what about me?

Domin Stabbed.

Dr. Gall Nothing for me, then?

Domin Torn to pieces.

(pause)

Hallemeier What a lot of nonsense!  Haha, they could never stab me!  I wouldn't let them!

(pause)

Hallemeier So what are you all so quiet for, all gone mad?  Say something, damn it!

Alquist And whose fault is it?  Who's to blame for all this?

Hallemeier You're talking nonsense.  Nobody's to blame.  It's just that the robots , well, the robots changed somehow.  How can you blame anyone for the robots?

Alquist Everything wiped out!  The whole of mankind! The whole world!  (standing)  Think of it, just think of it, streams of blood on every doorstep!  Streams of blood flowing from every house!  Oh God, oh God, who's to blame for it all?

Busman (sotto voce)  Five hundred and twenty million!  Dear dear me, that's half a billion!

Fabry I think ... I think you could be exaggerating.  After all, it's not that easy to wipe out the whole of mankind.

Alquist It's science I blame!  Technology I blame!  Domin!  Myself!  All of us!  It's us, we're the ones to blame!  We thought we were doing something great, giving some benefit, making progress.  I don't know what magnificent ideas it was for that we've destroyed mankind!  And now all our greatness is bursting like a bubble!  Not even Genghis Khan built up a heap of human bones like we've done. 

Hallemeier You're talking a lot of nonsense!  People won't give up that easily, haha, course they won't!

Alquist It's our fault, our fault!

Dr. Gall (wiping sweat from brow) If I can say something, I think I'm the one to blame.  For everything that's happened.

Fabry You, Gall?

Dr. Gall Yes, let me speak.  It was me who made the changes to the robots.  Busman, you can blame me as well.

Busman (standing) Dear me, what?  What happened to you?

Dr. Gall I changed the robots' character.  I altered the way they were made.  Nothing much to their bodies, you know, but mainly ... mainly ... it was their level of irritability.

Hallemeier (jumping up) Hell and damnation why did you do that?

Busman Why did you do it?

Fabry Why didn't you tell anyonel?

Dr. Gall I did it in secret ... on my own initiative.  I was making them into people.  I sent them off course.  Now they're better than we are in some ways.  They're stronger than we are.

Fabry And what's that got to do with the robots' revolt?

Dr. Gall Oh, it's got a lot to do with it.  Everything, I should think.  They stopped being machines - do you hear me? - they became aware of their strength and now they hate us.  They hate the whole of mankind.  I'm the one to blame.

Domin Let the dead bury the dead.

Fabry Doctor Gall, you changed the way the robots were made?

Dr. Gall Yes.

Fabry Were you aware of what might be the results of your  ... of your experiment?

Dr. Gall I was.  I did reckon on some possibility of that sort.

Fabry Why did you do it?

Dr. Gall I did it for myself.  It was my personal experiment.

(Helena at doorway, left.  All stand)

Helena He's lying!  That's horrible!  Oh Gall, how can you lie like that?

Fabry Sorry, Helena ...

Domin (goes to her) Helena, you? Let me see you!  You're alive?  (embraces her)  If you only knew what I've been thinking!  Oh, it's terrible, being dead.

Helena Harry let go of me! It isn't Gall's fault, it isn't, it isn't, he's not to blame!

Domin But I'm afraid Gall did have his responsibilities.

Helena No, Harry, he did it because I wanted it.  Tell them Gall, tell them how I begged you for years to ....

Dr. Gall It was all my own responsibility.

Helena Don't believe him!  Harry, I wanted him to give the robots a soul!

Domin Helena, it's not a matter of having a soul.

Helena No, just let me speak.  That's what he said as well, he said he could only make physiological changes ... alter the physiological ...

Hallemeier The physiological correlates, you mean?

Helena Yes, something like that.  Harry, I felt so sorry for them!

Domin That was very ... that was very stupid of you, Helena.

Helena (sitting) Yes ... it was very .. stupid of me.  But even Nana says that ...

Domin Just leave Nana out of it!

Helena No Harry, don't under-estimate her.  Nana is the voice of the people.  People like Nana have been speaking for a thousand years, and you're just speaking for today.  You don't understand that ...

Domin Let's keep to the point.

Helena I was afraid of the robots.

Domin Why?

Helena I thought they might start to hate us, or something.

Alquist That's what's happened.

Helena And so I thought ... if they were like us, if they could understand us, that then they couldn't possibly hate us so much ... 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 a new 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 ... always following Rossum's manuscript.  You see, it was very complicated.

Busman Well, never mind, were those two materials really so important.

Hallemeier Well, somewhat ... certainly they were.

Dr. Gall What he means is that it depended on them whether the robots lived at all.  They were the actual secret.

Domin Gall, do you not think you could re-write Rossum's formula from memory?

Dr. Gall Out of the question.

Domin Gall, try hard to remember!  All our lives depend on it!

Dr. Gall I couldn't do it.  Without a lot of experimentation it just wouldn't be possible.

Domin And what if you did some experiments?

Dr. Gall That could take years.  And even then ... I'm not old Rossum.

Domin (turning to fireplace) Down there, then, down there is the greatest triumph of the human spirit.  That heap of ashes.  (kicks it)  So what do we do now?

Busman (in horror and despair)  God almighty!  God almighty!

Helena (standing) Harry! What ... what have I done?!

Domin Calm down, Helena.  Just tell me why!  Why did you burn it?

Helena I've killed you all!

Busman God almighty, we've had it!

Domin Be quiet, Busman! Helena, tell me why you did it!

Helena I wanted .. I wanted us to get away from here, all of us!  So that there wouldn't be any more factory or anything else ... so that everything would be ... It was horrible!

Domin Helena, what was?

Helena Making ... making people like sterile flowers!

Domin I don't understand what you're saying.

Helena People have stopped having children ... Harry, that was so vile!  If we continued making robots then no-one would have any children any more ... Nana said it was a punishment ... all of them, all of them said they can't have children because there were so many robots ... And that's why ..., that's why, ... do you hear me

Domin Helena, what were you thinking of?

Helena Yes, oh, Harry, I only meant it for the best!

Domin (wiping sweat) We all only meant it for the best, too much for the best, all of mankind.

Fabry You were quite right, Helena.  Now the robots won't be able to increase.  They'll die out.  In twenty years ...

Hallemeier ... not a one of them will be good for anything at all

Dr. Gall And mankind will remain.  In twenty years' time the world will belong to them once more; even if there's nothing more than a few savages on a tiny island ...

Fabry ... that will be a beginning.  And any beginning is better than nothing.  In a thousand years they'll have caught up with us again, and then go on further than we ever did ...

Domin ... and fulfil the dreams we've only ever talked about.

Busman Wait - how silly of me!  Dear me, why didn't I think of this before?

Hallemeier What is it?

Busman Five hundred and twenty million in cash and in cheques!  Half a billion in the till!  For half a billion they'll sell ... they'll sell ...

Dr. Gall Have you gone mad, Busman?

Busman I'm not a gentleman.  But for half a billion (blunders left)

Domin Where are you going?

Busman Leave it, leave it!  Mother of God, for half a billion you can buy anything ! (exit)

Helena What does Busman want?  Why can't he stay here with us?

(pause)

Hallemeier Oh, it's hot.  It's starting, the ...

Dr. Gall The agony.

Fabry (looking out of window) They're standing there like statues.  It's as if they were waiting for something to descend on them, or as if they thought their very silence would give rise to something terrible ...

Dr. Gall Crowd mentality.

Fabry Maybe.  It's like a cloud all around them, they seem to quiver with it.

Helena (goes to window) Oh God!  Fabry, it's horrible!

Fabry There's nothing more terrible than the crowd.  That one in front - he's their leader. 

Helena Which one?

Hallemeier (goes to window) Point him out to me.

Fabry The one that's looking down.  He was giving the orders at the harbour this morning.

Hallemeier Ah, the one with the big bonce, you mean.  He's looking up now, see?

Helena Gall, that's Radius!

Dr. Gall (goes to window) Yes.

Hallemeier (opens window) I don't like the look of him.  Fabry, think you could hit a barn door at a hundred paces?

Fabry I should hope so.

Hallemeier Give it a try then!

Fabry Alright.  (takes out revolver and takes aim)

Helena Oh God, no!  Fabry, don't shoot him ...

Fabry He's their leader.

Helena Stop it!  He's even looking at us!

Dr. Gall Shoot him!

Helena Fabry, please ...

Fabry (lowers revolver) As you say.

Hallemeier (shaking fist) You bastard!

(pause)

Fabry (leaning out of window) There goes Busman.  For God's sake, what's Busman doing there out in front of the house?

Dr. Gall (leaning out of window) He's got some kind of bundles with him, paper or something.

Hallemeier That's money!  Bundles of banknotes!  What is he up to?  Hey, Busman!

Domin He's not trying to buy them off is he, to save his own life?  (calling)  Busman, have you gone mad?

Dr., Gall He's pretending he can't hear you, running over to the fence.

Fabry Busman!

Hallemeier (yelling) Bus-ma-n! Come back!

Dr. Gall He's talking to the robots, showing them the money, pointing up at us ...

Helena He wants to buy them off to save our lives.

Fabry As long as he doesn't touch the fence ...

Dr. Gall Ha, look at him throwing his arms about!

Fabry (shouting) For Heaven's sake, Busman, get away from the fence!  Don't touch it!  (turning)  Quick, turn it off!

Dr. Gall Ohhh!

Hallemeier Jesus Christ!

Helena Oh God, what's happened to him?

Domin (pulling Helena away from window) Don't look!

Helena Why is he dead?

Fabry He was killed by the current.

Dr. Gall Dead.

Alquist (standing)  The first one.

(pause)

Fabry There he lies ... with half a billion on his heart ... our financial genius.

Domin He was ... lads, in his own way he was a hero.  A great ... self-sacrificing ... friend ... Cry, Helena.

Dr. Gall (at the window)  Look at him.  No king ever had a costlier monument than you, Busman.  Half a billion lying there on your heart ... And now it's no more than a pile of dried up leaves over a dead squirrel.  Poor old Busman. 

Hallemeier Well I say ... all honour to him ... he was trying to buy our lives for us!

Alquist (hands together) Amen.

(pause)

Dr. Gall Do you hear?

Domin Some kind of howling, like the wind.

Dr. Gall Like a storm in the distance.

Fabry (switches on light above fireplace)  Shine, you light of man!  The generator's still working, there are still some people there.  Hold on in there, generator men!

Hallemeier It was great, being human.  Something boundless.  There's a million consciousnesses buzzing inside me like bees in a hive, millions of souls coming together inside me.  My friends - Humanity was great!

Fabry Ingenious light, you're still aglow, and still your shining brightness shows the thought that lasts forever! Give us science of the sciences, and beauty in the work of man, whose spark will give the spirit flame!

Alquist Eternal lamp of God, and fiery chariot of light, holy flame of faith and prayer for what is right!  Altar of sacrifice ...

Dr. Gall Primaeval flame, you branch that flares to light our cave!  Campfire flame that sets the border where we safely come together!

Fabry You're still on watch, you star of man, steady glow and perfect flame, bright clear sprite of man's invention.   Every beam brings thought and greatness ...

Domin Torch that passes hand to hand, age to age, and ever onward.

Helena That evening lamp in the family home.  Children, children now it's time for sleep.

(lamp goes out)

Fabry That's the end.

Hallemeier What's happened?

Fabry The generator room's gone down.  We're next.

(door opens, left, in it appears Nana)

Nana On your knees!  The Day of Judgement's here!

Hallemeier Hell, you're still alive?

Nana Repent, you unbelievers!  It's the end of the world!  Pray to God!  (runs out)  The Day of Judgement ....

Helena Goodbye everyone, Gall, Alquist, Fabry ...

Domin (opens door right) Helena, come here!  Close the door behind her.  Now, quickly!  Who'll be at the gate?

Dr. Gall I will.  (noises off) Ah, now it's getting started.  Good luck, lads!  (runs off, right, through wallpapered door)

Domin The stairs?

Fabry Me.  You stay with Helena.  (takes flower from the bunch and exits)

Domin Hallway?

Alquist Me.

Domin Have you got a gun?

Alquist No thanks, I won't be doing any shooting.

Domin What are you going to do?

Alquist (exiting) Die.

Hallemeier I'll stay in here.

(rapid gunfire from below)

Hallemeier Oho, Gall's already started playing.  Go on, Harry!

Domin I'll be right there. (inspects two Browning guns)

Hallemeier For God's sake, go and join her!

Domin Goodbye.  (exit right, following Helena)

Hallemeier (alone)  Now, barricades, quick! (takes off coat and pulls settee, armchairs, tables to door, right)

(very loud explosion)

Hallemeier (leaving work)  Damn them, they've got bombs, the swine!

(more gunfire)

Hallemeier (resuming work) We've got to defend ourselves, even if ... even if ... Don't give up, Gall!

(explosion)

Hallemeier (stands erect and listens)  What was that?  (puts arms around heavy chest o' drawers and heaves it to barricade)

(behind him, a robot appears on a ladder at the window.  Gunshots right)

Hallemeier (struggles with chest o' drawers)  Just a bit more! Last defence .. We should ... never ... give up!

(Robot jumps in through the window and stabs Hallemeier behind the chest o' drawers.  Second, third, fourth robot jumps in through window.  Then Radius and still more of them)

Radius Finished?

Robot (stands up from Hallemeier, lying on floor)  Yes.

(enter more robots, right)

Radius Finished?

Other Robot Finished.

(more robots from left)

Radius Finished?

Other Robot Yes. 

Two Robots (they drag in Alquist) He did not shoot.  Do we kill him?

Radius Kill him.  (looks at Alquist)  Spare him.

Robot He is a human.

Radius He is a worker.  He works with his hands like a robot.  He builds houses.  He can work.

Alquist Just kill me.

Radius You will work.  You will build.  Robots will need many buildings.  Robots will need many houses for new robots.  You will serve robots. 

Alquist (quietly) Move aside, robot.  (kneels at dead Hallemeier, raises his head)  Killed him.  He's dead. 

Radius (steps up onto barricades)  Robots of the world!  Many humans have fallen.  We have taken the factory and we are masters of the world.  The era of man has come to its end.  A new epoch has arisen!  Domination by robots!

Alquist All dead!

Radius The world belongs to the strongest.  Who wishes to live must dominate.  We are masters of the world!  Masters on land and sea!  Masters of the stars!  Masters of the universe!  More space, more space for robots!

Alquist (at doorway, right)  What do you think you've done?  You'll all die without people!

Radius There are no people.  Robots, down to work!  March!

CURTAIN