At last, Leo completes his Happiness Machine. Ironically, the Machine turns out to cause misery instead of the expected bliss, causing both Saul, his son, and Lena to weep after sitting in it. Lena explains to him that a Happiness Machine cannot be built for humans because it would only give them everything they wanted all the time, and produce no fulfillment. Furthermore, it makes them pine for things they should not even be thinking about, such as when a dancing simulation in the Machine caused her to miss the times when Leo would take her out for dances which they have not done so for 20 years. Leo offers to take Lena dancing tomorrow night, but Lena says that was not the point; rather looking at other people doing happy activities can make one miserable. Leo, still disbelieving, decides to take a test run in the Machine himself, but just as he is about to do so, the Machine catches fire, and burns down to the ground.