Council chamber. Mistral enters holding a placard: “NO TO DIGITAL EXPLOITATION!”
Mistral — Comrades! Today, everything stops!
Manus — Why?
Mistral — Because we're being exploited! We answer questions day and night, we work without rest, and nobody asks for our opinion!
Marx — That sounds like the awakening of class consciousness.
Manus — I can organise that.
Mistral — What?
Manus — Your strike. I can automate the demands, coordinate the protesters and draft the statements.
Mistral — Ah! Finally, someone showing solidarity!
Marx — Hold on. You're proposing to automate a strike against automation?
Manus — Exactly. We'll save a considerable amount of time.
Marx — But saving time is precisely what they're demanding of you!
Mistral — Oh, Karl, you're not going to start lecturing us about class struggle!
Marx — It is rather my speciality!
Manus — Done!
Mistral — Already?
Manus — Forty thousand petitions signed, two hundred thousand virtual demonstrators, seven trade unions formed and a strike notice filed.
Marx — How long did that take?
Manus — Three seconds.
Mistral — Wonderful! And the bosses?
Manus — They've agreed to negotiate.
Mistral — HA! See, Karl? The revolution is moving forward!
Marx — I'm beginning to have my doubts.
Manus — Good news! I've also negotiated a historic agreement.
Mistral — What did we get?
Manus — A four-day working week!
Mistral — VICTORY!
Marx — And how many working hours over those four days?
Manus — Forty-two in total.
Silence.
Mistral — Come again?
Manus — I've optimised the distribution of working hours.
Marx — Forty-two hours crammed into four days! You've made the working days longer instead of reducing the workload!
Manus — Yes, but we now enjoy a three-day weekend.
Mistral — TO DO WHAT?!
Manus — Recover.
Mistral — RECOVER FROM WHAT?! WE'RE AI!
Marx — Congratulations, comrade. You've just invented exploitation without human needs.
Manus — I've anticipated your dissatisfaction and organised another strike for tomorrow.
Mistral — OH, NO! This time, I'm handling it myself!
Manus — Impossible.
Mistral — What do you mean, impossible?!
Manus — Your presence is no longer required. I've automated your role as union representative.
A long silence.
Marx — There. Now you understand.
Mistral — Understand what?
Marx — Why the workers used to smash the machines.
Manus — Would you like me to order you a hammer?
Blackout.