2
On the planet Koncereiva,
robots had replaced
reasoning creatures.
However, these ones
were not entirely extinct,
but had to copy
their usurpers
in order to survive.
They were performing well
their part,
so well,
that the real robots
were frequently accused
of sentimentalism.
(Pe planeta Koncereiva,
robotii luasera locul
fiintelor ganditoare.
Totusi, acestea
nu disparusera cu totul,
dar acum trebuiau
sa-si imite uzurpatorii
pentru a supravietui.
Si isi jucau
atat de bine
rolul,
incat ii acuzau adeseori
pe robotii adevarati
de sentimentalism.)
I added in 1980s the file above in Spaceman Sazartinus’ Diary
as an interior reaction to the New Man’s apparition, a character without
personality, able to execute any monstrous order of the Romanian
Communist Party. All in a politic system allowing that a gang of criminals
to lead a whole country, to behead its intellectual elite, to wash brains,
to pollute nature through a chaotic industrial aggression, to export the best
resources in order to obtain more money for themselves, to offer “rational
alimentation” (a cynical concept trying to hide hunger and suffering), to
demolish historical monuments and churches (in order to be replaced by
unproductive factories and uncomfortable blocks of flats), to abolish the
private propriety and the particular initiative, to transform the people into
docile and humble beings (“enthusiastic” in achieving the “glorious
obligations” decided by the leading communist class), to spread spies all
over the country (in order to find and to arrest the dissidents)…
A politic system losing the historical evolution…
A strange phenomenon
was happening
on the planet Aerphel:
the seconds of the clock
were lagging and, implicitly,
every outrunning of time
would have endangered the planet.
To avoid a general disaster,
the Aerphelians slowed down
all the zone movements,
created an austere guard
at the admissible frontier of time,
and imposed penalty clauses
for any deviation
from the new rules.
Unseen, unheard,
nonunderstanding,
but easily located
by their radars,
the thoughts were threatened
by the most severe punishments.
(Pe planeta Aerphel
se producea
un fenomen ciudat:
secundele ceasornicelor
ramaneau in urma si, implicit,
orice depasire a timpului
ar fi primejduit planeta.
Spre a evita o catastrofa generala,
aerphelienii au incetinit
toate miscarile zonale,
au creat o paza severa
la granita admisibila a timpului,
au instituit clauze penale
pentru orice abatere
de la noile reguli.
Nevazute, neauzite
si neintelegatoare,
insa reperabile prin radare,
gandurile erau
cel mai predispuse la greseli
si pedepsite cel mai aspru.)
Sometimes, reality could be more “horror” than imagination.
A great human consciousness said:
“The sleep of Ration gives birth to the monsters.”
I must complete:
“When communism was born, Ration was snoring.”
I am still horror-stricken by thinking of the ideal world imagined by
the leading communists in Romania. Something like in the next
peregrination of Spaceman Sazartinus:
I stopped on a planet
where the bipeds walked
on all fours
carrying armchairs
on their backs.
I had to give them the flowers
from my hands
and the lyrics
from my subconscious.
They looked at me barrenly
and said:
“Get on, please!”
(M-am oprit pe o planeta
unde bipezii mergeau
in patru labe
ducand cate un fotoliu
in spinare
Aveam de daruit florile
din maini
si versurile
din subconstient
Ei ma priveau sterp
si-mi spuneau:
“Urcati, va rog!”)