Rossum´s Universal Robots Read Free Page A

development. And in the meantime the products go through their apprenticeship.
    Helena What does that involve?
    Domin Much the same as going to school for a person. They learn how to speak, write and do arithmetic, as they’ve got amazing memories. If you read a twenty-volume encyclopedia to them they could repeat it back to you word for word, but they never think of anything new for themselves. They’d make very good university lecturers. After that, they’re sorted and distributed, fifteen thousand of them a day, not counting those that are defective and go back to the scrap heap... and so on and so on.
    Helena Are you cross with me?
    Domin God no! I just thought we... we might talk about something different. There’s just a few of us here surrounded by hundreds of thousands of robots, and no women at all. All we ever talk about is production levels all day every day. It’s as if there were some kind of curse on us.
    Helena I’m very sorry I called you... called you a liar.
    ( knocking )
    Domin Come in, lads.
    ( Enter, stage left, Fabry, Dr. Gall, Dr. Hallemeier, Alquist )
    Dr. Gall Oh, not disturbing you, are we?
    Domin Come on in. Miss Glory, this is Alquist, Fabry, Gall, Hallemeier. Mr. Glory’s daughter.
    Helena ( embarrassed ) Good afternoon
    Fabry We had no idea
    Dr. Gall This is a great pleasure
    Alquist It’s nice to see you here, Miss Glory
    ( Enter Busman, right )
    Busman Hello, what’s going on here?
    Domin Come in, Busman. This is Busman, and this is Mr. Glory’s daughter.
    Helena Pleased to meet you.
    Busman Oh, that’s wonderful! Miss Glory, would you mind if we send a telegram to the newspapers to say you’ve come?
    Helena No, no, please don’t do that!
    Domin Please, do sit down.
    ( Fabry, Busman and Dr. Gall pull up armchairs )
    Fabry Please...
    Busman After you...
    Dr. Gall Beg your pardon...
    Alquist Miss Glory, did you have a good journey?
    Dr. Gall Will you be staying here, with us, for long?
    Fabry What do you think of our factory, Miss Glory?
    Hallemeier Came over on the Amelia, did you?
    Domin Quiet, let Miss Glory speak.
    Helena ( to Domin )What am I supposed to say to them?
    Domin ( surprised )Whatever you like.
    Helena Should I... should I be open with them?
    Domin Of course you should.
    Helena ( hesitant, then decided ) Tell me, do you not mind the way you’re treated?
    Fabry Treated by whom?
    Helena Any of these people.
    ( All look at each other in bewilderment )
    Alquist The way we’re treated?
    Dr. Gall How do you mean?
    Hallemeier Oh my God!
    Busman But Miss Glory, dear me!
    Helena Do you not think you could have a better kind of existence?
    Dr. Gall That all depends, Miss Glory, what do you mean?
    Helena What I mean is... ( in an outburst )... this is all horrible, it’s vile! ( standing ) The whole of Europe is talking about what’s going on here and the way you’re treated. That’s why I’ve come here, to see for myself, and I find it’s a thousand times worse than anyone ever thought! How can you bear it?
    Alquist What is it you think we have to bear?
    Helena Your position here. You are people just like we are, for God’s sake, just like anyone else in Europe, anyone else in the world! It’s a scandal, the way you have to live, it isn’t worthy of you!
    Busman My word, Miss Glory!!
    Fabry But I think there might be something in what Miss Glory says, lads. We really do live here like a camp of Indians.
    Helena Worse than Indians! May I, oh, may I call you ‘brothers’?
    Busman Well, why on Earth not?
    Helena Brothers, I haven’t come here on behalf of my father. I’m here on behalf of the League of Humanity. Brothers, the League of Humanity now has more than two thousand members. There are two thousand people who are standing up for you and want to help you.
    Busman Two thousand people! Dear me, that’s quite a decent number, that’s very nice indeed.
    Fabry I always say that old Europe hasn’t had its day yet. Do you hear, lads, they