O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization Page #2

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medals out of it.

But it's more silver

than in your arks.

The arks will be the only legal

tender in the Ark, once we've got there.

I got nothing more to pay.

Keep it.

I give it to you,

because I pity you,

pigeon.

- Hi!

- You could have knocked.

They need you.

Who?

Some machine that keeps the

dome together is breaking apart.

None of us can fix it.

We need a specialist.

We found one among

those ragamuffins down there,

an engineer who would do it.

But he is a freak,

like the rest of them.

- So what am I to do?

- Persuade him,

psyche him to it.

You have

the right approach.

Promise him an ice-cream,

onion and a good lay

every morning on the Ark,

if he fixes that junk.

I have a feeling

I've met you before.

I was one of those

messiahs who made rounds

promising a salvation to

those who would make it here.

- The Ark.

- Oh, I see.

Well, you looked

more inspired then.

I got atropine in my eyes,

used typical gestures and rhetoric.

You may learn it.

And besides the makers of

attractive promises always appear inspired.

That Annunciation of the Ark

was a very good idea.

All rational, official

methods proved useless.

There was only one choice left:

Invoking a myth, faith, manipulation.

Do you consider

it immoral?

I don't know

much of morality.

Where you came from

are no survivors left.

But I bear no

grudge against you.

More, I am grateful

for your Ark vision.

You don't mean to say you

believe in the advent of the Ark?

No.

There is no Ark.

But it may be.

That's it's greatness.

You are jeering!

Not at all.

One must fill the void.

Why should I not believe?

The Ark is something nice,

funcional, it makes sense.

Something to

come and envelop me.

Let's say that this

faith palliates my yearing.

You realize it's a self-deception,

and yet you believe in things absurd?

It's good to be there,

in that crowd of expectant people.

The dome keeps this city

isolated from the outside world?

Do you know what

it is like outside?

Most likely, there

is a huge radioactive ice field.

The dome is operated electronically.

You are an engineer. Do you know this gear?

Possibly.

And you know

it is breaking down?

Yes, they have told me.

Then it is your duty toward

all humans living here

to try and repair the mechanism

which saves us from that hell.

If we are doomed to hell,

why should we keep the dome?

You are fightning

for your life.

Every day you

battle for some food.

It's the habit.

Strange, isn't it?

You're playing a fool.

This repair is

your moral duty.

I expected to hear it.

You know, morality is a passkey.

It opens every door, including

the one hiding immoral intensions.

It is a command,

like "attention!".

If the dome falls apart, you will

be guilty of the death of all of us.

You sound as if you believed

in an escape from death.

You are wrong.

It is by accepting that I would

take responsibility for our lives,

and that would be,

damn it, immodest.

It's easy enough.

You stupid,

get out of here.

Why?

You disturb my sleep,

you stupid.

But I'm keeping quiet.

Yes, but as you are standing

here and I hear them howling,

I feel as if you

were screaming in my ear.

Would the loudspeakers not

disturb you, if I were not here?

They wouldn't. Get out,

stupid, let me sleep.

Take this!

But let me stay

here a little longer.

You are really stupid.

A little boy, who wants the Ark

to take him away, should say "thank you".

I don't care about the Ark.

- You don't believe about the Ark?

- I believe in sparts, stupid.

And if you keep on crying

out that there is no Ark,

it means that

there must be.

What do you think:

Will it arrive?

The Ark does not exist.

Then why don't

you build it, stupid?

If there is no Ark

we still can make it.

After all, we could

live in peace and hide

- out even in this crazy inferno.

- But against what?

Everything is temporary,

until the Ark arrives, isn't it?

- I wish to save you.

- Why me?

It is you who needs help,

who is unhappy.

Look where you

have brought me?

What a hopeless,

desolate place! Look!

- But here we can be alone together.

- What for? I hate being alone.

I am scared of emptiness.

Listen,

I want to have a baby.

- It may be with you. Do you want it?

- A baby, now?

I mean, not now. When

the Ark arrives. Don't you see?

To have a baby,

you must have lots of money.

And I have earned plenty of these

new Arks. Don't you want a baby?

You are crazy.

Oh, now I hate emptiness.

I hate it!

Do you want

to come over?

Come on.

Look, he is a millionaire.

They brought him and his wife

here in a sedan chair, like a king.

Then when he found that

the Ark had failed to come,

he resolved to build this roots

and he insisted that it was all of wood.

He paid millions

for every board.

And once they

had built it,

he got in there and has

not come out ever since.

It cost him a fortune.

Don't be scared.

Come on.

I rent a room here.

Come on.

Is it him?

Well, not a beauty,

but looks like a man.

Do you like him?

He has something of

a charming fool about him.

And why are you so stiff, man?

No, I am not...

You are versed in technology,

I can feel it.

Will you advise a

weak woman, will you?

Yes.

Fine. After the Ark has come,

it will fly away, won't it?

Yes.

And then it will soar into

space where gravity

is zero and everyone

floats weightless.

So if you don't want

to bruise your body,

you will glide and you

may get bruises, am I right?

You may.

Perfect. I've got

a wonderful invention.

Check the stitches.

What for?

You blockhead.

When we will all fly

weightless up there,

I will pad the walls of

our Ark cabin with this.

I cannot expose my husband

and me to the risk of bruises.

After all we are

too rich for that.

Well, is

it a good idea?

Certainly, it is.

You've put me at ease.

And you are so skinny,

sweet blond, and so nice.

Well, go there,

she is waiting for you. Go.

What's the matter ladies.

Sing!

Did you bring me a dove?

No.

One cannot rely on anyone.

What do you

need a dove for?

To have it exactly

as in the book.

Do you like my Ark?

Oh, it's an Ark.

What else?

Can't you feel

we are swimming?

When the water subsides,

I will need a dove.

What for?

To have it

exactly as in the book.

The dove will show me

when the flood is over.

All like in

the book, you see?

It's a tried-out

method. It must work.

Look what they have

brought me? What is it?

- A raven.

- A raven!

You fool, a raven?!

It's a stuffed puppet.

Tell me:
Have you had at least

one vision in your lifetime?

No.

That's what I tought.

You can have no visions

with your way of thinking.

Are you sexual at least?

- What?

- Sexual!

Don't you have

a problem with your virility?

No...

That's good.

You'll be handy,

very handy to me.

I will adopt you.

I need sons.

Ham... Sem...

and what's-his-name.

Oh, how wonderful it is to

see the whole prophecy come true.

Don't be afraid of him.

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