Rossum´s Universal Robots Read Free Page B

haven’t forgotten about us, they want to help us.
    Dr. Gall What sort of help do you have in mind? A theatre performance, perhaps?
    Hallemeier An orchestra?
    Helena More than that.
    Alquist Yourself?
    Helena Oh, never mind myself! I’ll stay here for as long as it’s needed.
    Busman Dear me, that is good news!
    Alquist I’ll go and get the best room ready for Miss Glory then, Domin.
    Domin Wait a second, Alquist, I’ve a feeling Miss Glory hasn’t quite finished speaking yet.
    Helena No, I haven’t finished, not unless you mean to shut me up by force.
    Dr. Gall Harry, how dare you!
    Helena Thank you. I knew you’d protect me.
    Domin Excuse me, Miss Glory, but are you sure you’re talking to robots?
    Helena ( taken aback )Who else would I be talking to?
    Domin I’m afraid these gentlemen are people, just like you are. Just like the whole of Europe.
    Helena ( to the others ) You aren’t robots?
    Busman ( laughing ) God forbid!
    Hallemeier The idea’s disgusting!
    Dr. Gall ( laughing ) Well thank you very much!
    Helena But... but that’s impossible.
    Fabry On my word of honour, Miss Glory, we are not robots.
    Helena ( to Domin ) Then why did you tell me that all your staff are robots?
    Domin All the staff are robots, but not the management. Let me introduce them: Mr. Fabry, general technical director, Rossum’s Universal Robots. Doctor Gall, director of department for physiology and research. Doctor Hallemeier, director of the institute for robot behaviour and psychology. Mr. Busman, commercial director, and Mr. Alquist, our builder, head of construction at Rossum’s Universal Robots.
    Helena I’m sorry gentlemen. I... I... oh, that’s terrible, what have I done?
    Alquist Oh, it doesn’t matter, Miss Glory, please sit down.
    Helena ( sitting ) What a stupid girl I am. Now, now you’ll send me back on the next ship.
    Dr. Gall Not for the world. Why would we want to send you back?
    Helena Because now you know... you know... you know I want to destroy your business.
    Domin But there’ve already been hundreds of saviours and prophets here. More of them arrive with every ship; missionaries, anarchists, the Salvation Army, everything you can think of. It’s astonishing just how many churches and madmen there are in the world.
    Helena And you let them talk to the robots?
    Domin Why not? We’ve let them all do it so far. The robots remember everything, but that’s all they do. They don’t even laugh at what people tell them. It’s really quite incredible. If you feel like it, I can take you down to the storeroom and you can talk to the robots there.
    Busman Three hundred and forty-seven thousand.
    Domin Alright then. You can lecture them on whatever you like. Read them the Bible, logarithmic tables, anything. You can even preach to them about human rights.
    Helena But I thought that... if they were just shown a little love...
    Fabry That’s impossible, Miss Glory. There’s nothing more different from people than a robot.
    Helena Why do you make them?
    Busman Hahaha, that’s a good one! Why do we make robots!
    Fabry So that they can work for us, Miss Glory. One robot can take the place of two and a half workers. The human body is very imperfect; one day it had to be replaced with a machine that would work better.
    Busman People cost too much.
    Fabry They were very unproductive. They weren’t good enough for modern technology. And besides,... besides... this is wonderful progress that... I beg your pardon.
    Helena What?
    Fabry Please forgive me, but to give birth to a machine is wonderful progress. It’s more convenient and it’s quicker, and everything that’s quicker means progress. Nature had no notion of the modern rate of work. From a technical point of view, the whole of childhood is quite pointless. Simply a waste of time. And thirdly...
    Helena Oh, stop it!
    Fabry As you like. Can I ask you, what actually is it that your League... League of Humanity stands