R.U.R. Karel Čapek (story read aloud .TXT) 📖

at our famous works where people are manufactured. Like all visitors. Well, there is no objection. Helena I thought it was forbidden to⁠— Domin To enter the factory? Yes, of course. Everybody comes here with someone’s visiting card, Miss Glory. Helena And you show them⁠— Domin Only certain things. The manufacture of artificial people is a secret process. Helena If you only knew how enormously that⁠— Domin Interests you. Europe’s talking about nothing else. Helena Indignantly turning front. Why don’t you let me finish speaking? Domin Drier. I beg your pardon. Did you want to say something different? Helena I only wanted to ask⁠— Domin Whether I could make a special exception in your case and show you our factory. Why, certainly, Miss Glory. Helena How do you know I wanted to say that? Domin They all do. But we shall consider it a special honor to show you more than we do the rest. Helena Thank you. Domin Standing. But you must agree not to divulge the least⁠— Helena Standing and giving him her hand. My word of honor. Domin Thank you. Looking at her hand. Won’t you raise your veil? Helena Of course. You want to see whether I’m a spy or not⁠—I beg your pardon. Domin Leaning forward. What is it? Helena Would you mind releasing my hand? Domin Releasing it. Oh, I beg your pardon. Helena Raising veil. How cautious you have to be here, don’t you? Domin Observing her with deep interest. Why, yes. Hm⁠—of course⁠—We⁠—that is⁠— Helena But what is it? What’s the matter? Domin I’m remarkably pleased. Did you have a pleasant crossing? Helena Yes. Domin No difficulty? Helena Why? Domin What I mean to say is⁠—you’re so young. Helena May we go straight into the factory? Domin Yes. Twenty-two, I think. Helena Twenty-two what? Domin Years. Helena Twenty-one. Why do you want to know? Domin Well, because⁠—as⁠—Sits on desk nearer her. You will make a long stay, won’t you? Helena (Backing away. R.) That depends on how much of the factory you show me. Domin Rises; crosses to her. Oh, hang the factory. Oh, no, no, you shall see everything, Miss Glory. Indeed you shall. Won’t you sit down? Takes her to couch R. C. She sits. Offers her cigarette from case at end of sofa. She refuses. Helena Thank you. Domin But first would you like to hear the story of the invention? Helena Yes, indeed. Domin Crosses to L. C. near desk. It was in the year 1920 that old Rossum, the great physiologist, who was then quite a young scientist, took himself to the distant island for the purpose of studying the ocean fauna. She is amused. On this occasion he attempted by chemical synthesis to imitate the living matter known as protoplasm until he suddenly discovered a substance which behaved exactly like living matter although its chemical composition was different. That was in the year 1932, exactly four hundred and forty years after the discovery of America. Whew⁠— Helena Do you know that by heart? Domin Takes flowers from desk to her. Yes. You see, physiology is not in my line. Shall I go on? Helena Smelling flowers. Yes, please. Domin Center. And then, Miss Glory, Old Rossum wrote the following among his chemical experiments: “Nature has found only one method of organizing living matter. There is, however, another method, more simple, flexible and rapid which has not yet occurred to Nature at all. This second process by which life can be developed was discovered by me today.” Now imagine him, Miss Glory, writing those wonderful words over some colloidal mess that a dog wouldn’t look at. Imagine him sitting over a test tube and thinking how the whole tree of life would grow from him, how all animals would proceed from it, beginning with some sort of a beetle and ending with a man. A man of different substance from us. Miss Glory, that was a tremendous moment. Gets box of candy from desk and passes it to her. Helena Well⁠— Domin As she speaks his portable phone lights up and he answers. Well⁠—Hello!⁠—Yes⁠—no, I’m in conference. Don’t disturb me. Helena Well? Domin Smile. Now, the thing was how to get the life out of the test tubes, and hasten development and form organs, bones and nerves, and so on, and find such substances as catalytics, enzymes, hormones in short⁠—you understand? Helena Not much, I’m afraid. Domin Never mind. Leans over couch and fixes cushion for her back. There! You see with the help of his tinctures he could make whatever he wanted. He could have produced a Medusa with the brain of Socrates or a worm fifty yards long⁠—She laughs. He does also; leans closer on couch, then straightens up again⁠—but being without a grain of humor, he took into his head to make a vertebrate or perhaps a man. This artificial living matter of his had a raging thirst for life. It didn’t mind being sown or mixed together. That couldn’t be done with natural albumen. And that’s how he set about it. Helena About what? Domin About imitating Nature. First of all he tried making an artificial dog. That took him several years and resulted in a sort of stunted calf which died in a few days. I’ll show it to you in the museum. And then old Rossum started on the manufacture of man. Helena And I’m to divulge this to nobody? Domin To nobody in the world. Helena What a pity that it’s to be discovered in all the school books of both Europe and America. Both laugh. Domin Yes. But do you know what isn’t in the school books? That old Rossum was mad. Seriously, Miss Glory, you must keep this to yourself. The old crank wanted to actually make people. Helena But you do make people. Domin Approximately⁠—Miss Glory. But old Rossum meant it literally. He wanted to become a sort of scientific substitute for God. He was a fearful materialist, and that’s why he did it all. His sole purpose was nothing more or less than to prove that God was no longer necessary.