The play is laid on an island somewhere on our planet, and on this island is the central office of the factory of Rossum’s Universal Robots. “Robot” is a Czech word meaning “worker.” When the play opens, a few decades beyond the present day, the factory had turned out already, following a secret formula, hundreds of thousands, and even millions, of manufactured workmen, living automats, without souls, desires or feelings. They are high-powered laborers, good for nothing but work. There are two grades, the unskilled and the skilled, and especially trained workmen are furnished on request.

When Helena Glory, president of the Humanitarian League, comes to ascertain what can be done to improve the condition of those overspecialized creatures, Harry Domin, the general manager of the factory, captures her heart and hand in the speediest courting on record in our theatre. The last two acts take place ten years later. Due to the desire of Helena to have the Robots more like human beings, Dr. Gall, the head of the physiological and experimental departments, has secretly changed the formula, and while he has partially humanized only a few hundreds, there are enough to make ringleaders, and a world revolt of robots is under way. This[4] revolution is easily accomplished, as robots have long since been used when needed as soldiers and the robots far outnumber human beings.

The rest of the play is magnificent melodrama, superbly portrayed, with the handful of human beings at bay while the unseen myriads of their own robots close in on them. The final scene is like Dunsany on a mammoth scale.

Then comes the epilogue, in which Alquist, the company’s builder, is not only the only human being on the island, but also the only one left on earth. The robots have destroyed the rest of mankind. They spared his life because he was a worker. And he is spending his days unceasingly endeavoring to discover and reconstruct the lost formula. The robots are doomed. They saved the wrong man. They should have spared the company’s physicist. The robots know that their bodies will wear out in time and there will be no new multitudes of robots to replace them. But Alquist discovers two humanized robots, a young man and young woman, who have a bit of Adam and Eve in them, and the audience perceives that mankind is about to start afresh. Nature has won out, after all.

Ústřední kancelář továrny Rossum s Universal Robots. Vpravo vchod. Okny v průčelní stěně pohled na nekonečné řady továrních budov. Vlevo další ředitelské místnosti.
  
Domin (sedí u velikého amerického psacího stolu v otáčecím křesle. Na stole žárovka, telefon, těžítka, pořadač dopisů, atd., na stěně vlevo veliké mapy s lodními a železničními liniemi, veliký kalendář, hodiny, jež ukazují něco málo před polednem; na stěně vpravo tištěné plakáty: "Nejlacinější práce: Rossumovi Roboti" "Tropičtí Roboti, nový vynález. Kus 150 d." "Každý si kup svého Robota!" "Chcete zlevnit svoje výrobky? Objednejte si Rossumovy Roboty." Dále jiné mapy, dopravní lodní řád, tabulka s telegrafickými záznamy kursů atd. V kontrastu k této výzdobě stěn je na zemi nádherný turecký koberec, vpravo kulatý stůl, pohovka, kožená klubovní křesla a knihovna, v níž místo knih stojí láhve s vínem a kořalkami. Vlevo pokladna. Vedle Dominova stolu psací stroj, na němž píše dívka Sulla.)
Domin (diktuje) "- že neručíme za zboží poškozené dopravou. Upozornili jsme vašeho kapitána hned při nakládání, že loď je nezpůsobilá k dopravě Robotů, takže zkáza nákladu nepadá na náš účet. Znamenáme se - za Rossum s Universal Robots -" Hotovo?
Sulla Ano.
Domin Nový list. Friedrichswerke, Hamburk. - Datum. - "Potvrzujeme objednávku patnáct tisíc Robotů -" (zazvoní domácí telefon. Domin jej zvedne a mluví do něho) Haló - Zde centrální - ano. - Zajisté. Ale ano, jako vždycky. - Ovšem, kabelujte jim. - Dobrá - (zavěsí telefon) Kde jsem přestal?
Sulla Potvrzujeme objednávku na patnáct tisíc R.
Domin (zamyšleně) Patnáct tisíc R. Patnáct tisíc R.
Marius (vstoupí) Pane řediteli, nějaká dáma prosí -
Domin Kdo?
Marius Nevím. Podává vizitku.
Domin (čte) Prezident Glory. - Že prosím.
Marius (otevře dveře) Račte, paní.
 
 (vejde Helena Gloryová. Marius odejde)
  
Domin (vstane) Račte.
Helena Pan centrální ředitel Domin?
Domin Prosím.
Helena Jdi k vám -
Domin - s lístkem prezidenta Gloryho. To stačí.
Helena Prezident Glory je můj otec. Jsem Helena Gloryová.
Domin Slečno Gloryová, je pro nás neobyčejnou ctí, že - že -
Helena - že vám nemůžeme ukázat dveře.
Domin - že smíme pozdravit dceru velkého prezidenta. Prosím, posaďte se. Sullo, můžete odejít. (Sulla odejde)
Domin (usedne) Čím mohu posloužit, slečno Gloryová?
Helena Já jsem přijela -
Domin - podívat se na naši tovární výrobu lidí. Jako všechny návštěvy. Prosím, beze všeho.
Helena Myslela jsem, že je zakázáno -
Domin - vstoupit do továrny, ovšem. Jenže každý sem přijde s něčí vizitkou, slečno Gloryová.
Helena A vy ukážete každému ... ?
Domin Jen něco. Výroba umělých lidí, slečno, je tovární tajemství.
Helena Proč mne nenecháte domluvit?
Domin Prosím za prominutí. Chtěla jste snad říci něco jiného?
Helena Chtěla jsem se jen zeptat -
Domin - zda bych vám zcela výjimečně neukázal naši továrnu. Ale zajisté, slečno Gloryová.
Helena Jak víte, že jsem se na to chtěla ptát?
Domin Všichni se ptají stejně. Vstane. Ze zvláštní úcty, slečno, vám ukážeme víc než jiným a - jedním slovem -
Helena Děkuji vám.
Domin Zavážete-li se, že nikomu neprozradíte ani to nejmenší -
Helena (vstane a podává mu ruku) Mé čestné slovo.
Domin Děkuji. Nechtěla byste snad sejmout závoj?
Helena Ach ovšem, vy chcete vidět - Promiňte.
Domin Prosím?

Scene: Central office of the factory of Rossum’s Universal Robots. Entrance R. down Right. The windows on the back wall look out on the endless roads of factory buildings. Door L. down Left. On the Left wall large maps showing steamship and railroad routes. On the Right wall are fastened printed placards. (“Robots cheapest Labor,” etc.) In contrast to these wall fittings, the floor is covered with splendid Turkish carpet, a couch R.C. A book shelf containing bottles of wine and spirits, instead of books.
Domin is sitting at his desk at Left, dictating. Sulla is at the typewriter upstage against the wall. There is a leather couch with arms Right Center. At the extreme Right an armchair. At extreme Left a chair. There is also a chair in front of Domin’s desk. Two green cabinets across the upstage corners of the room complete the furniture. Domin’s desk is placed up and down stage facing Right.

Seen through the windows which run to the heights of the room are rows of factory chimneys, telegraph poles and wires. There is a general passageway or hallway upstage at the Right Center which leads to the warehouse. The[10] Robots are brought into the office through this entrance.
Domin. (Dictating) Ready?

Sulla. Yes.

Domin. To E. M. McVicker & Co., Southampton, England. “We undertake no guarantee for goods damaged in transit. As soon as the consignment was taken on board we drew your captain’s attention to the fact that the vessel was unsuitable for the transportation of Robots; and we are therefore not responsible for spoiled freight. We beg to remain, for Rossum’s Universal Robots, yours truly.” (Sulla types the lines.) Ready?

Sulla. Yes.

Domin. Another letter. To the E. B. Huysen Agency, New York, U.S.A. “We beg to acknowledge receipt of order for five thousand Robots. As you are sending your own vessel, please dispatch as cargo equal quantities of soft and hard coal for R.U.R., the same to be credited as part payment (BUZZER) of the amount due us.” (Answering phone) Hello! This is the central office. Yes, certainly. Well, send them a wire. Good. (Rises) “We beg to remain, for Rossum’s Universal Robots, yours very truly.” Ready?

Sulla. Yes.

Domin. (Answering small portable phone) Hello! Yes. No. All right. (Standing back of desk, punching plug machine and buttons) Another letter. Freidrichswerks, Hamburg, Germany. “We beg to acknowledge receipt of order for fifteen thousand Robots.” (Enter Marius R.) Well, what is it?

Marius. There’s a lady, sir, asking to see you.

Domin. A lady? Who is she?

Marius. I don’t know, sir. She brings this card of introduction.

Domin. (Reading card) Ah, from President[11] Glory. Ask her to come in— (To Sulla. Crossing up to her desk, then back to his own) Where did I leave off?

Sulla. “We beg to acknowledge receipt of order for fifteen thousand Robots.”

Domin. Fifteen thousand. Fifteen thousand.

Marius. (At door R.) Please step this way.

(Enter Helena. Exit Marius R.)
Helena. (Crossing to desk) How do you do?

Domin. How do you do? What can I do for you?

Helena. You are Mr. Domin, the General Manager?

Domin. I am.

Helena. I have come—

Domin. With President Glory’s card. That is quite sufficient.

Helena. President Glory is my father. I am Helena Glory.

Domin. Please sit down. Sulla, you may go. (Exit Sulla L. Sitting down L. of desk) How can I be of service to you, Miss Glory?

Helena. I have come— (Sits R. of desk.)

Domin. To have a look 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.

[12]

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?