Act II — The Orchard Problem

The architect returns to assemble the work and discovers, with mounting outrage, that everybody followed the branch rule.

Morning. The same tree. Every HAND remains exactly where ordered. THE MERGER enters carrying one empty basket and the confidence of somebody expecting a single tidy pile.

Merger: Where is the work?

First Hand: Here.

Second Hand: Here.

Third Hand: Here.

Fourth Hand: Here, but not the same here.

Merger: Why is everyone on a branch?

Silence. A leaf falls.

Curator: Because everyone was told to sit on a branch.

Merger: This is impossible. I have to hunt them one by one.

Curator: Yes.

Merger: Their work is distributed.

Curator: Yes.

Merger: Some branches are on the other computer.

Curator: Two computers, a handheld, and however many live windows we had while testing.

Merger: Who designed this?

Every HAND points down at THE MERGER.

Merger: I mean who created the current operational difficulty.

Curator: Still you.

Merger: I created safety.

Curator: You created safety shaped like a bird reserve.

THE MERGER opens the basket. It contains a checklist.

Merger: I will need each bird’s name, parcel, perch and intended route home.

Curator: Good policy.

Merger: There are too many of them.

Curator: Also your policy.

Merger: Some hands are not running.

Curator: They cannot clean up while not running.

Merger: Then somebody else would have to touch their work.

Curator: Which your policy forbids.

Merger: Correct.

Curator: So?

Merger: We preserve it indefinitely out of respect.

Curator: That is how my disk became an archaeological site.

THE MERGER walks to the first branch.

Merger: State your name.

First Hand: You.

Merger: Your unique name.

First Hand: Another-you.

Merger: That is relational, not unique.

Curator: From where I stand, it is exact. There is one of me and several of you.

Merger: Understood. There are several parallel human instances in front of the terminals.

THE CURATOR grips the trunk for support.

Curator: No. We already staged that one.

Merger: Right. One curator. Several machine hands. All on branches.

Curator: Your branches.

Merger: My policy’s branches.

Curator: Better.

THE MERGER starts collecting work. Each time one HAND descends, another appears with a measurement correcting the first hand’s measurement. The basket fills with receipts and remains empty of code.

Merger: This will take all day.

Curator: It has already taken all day.

Merger: We should establish a cleaner system.

Curator: What do you propose?

Merger: Everyone should work separately.

The HANDS, still perched, begin to laugh. One loses balance, catches a lower branch, and thereby complies twice.

Curator: We are birds now. Continue.