2010: The Year We Make Contact

COMPUTERIZED VOICE: My God, it's full of stars. BOWMAN: My God. It's full of stars. Neatness. It's a good quality. You'll make someone a fine wife. You are Dr. Heywood Floyd? -Who the hell are you? -I'm Moisevitch. -I'm here to talk about your problem. -Really? What problem's that? MOISEVITCH: You were chairman of the National Council on Astronautics. Now you are a schoolteacher. This was by your own choice? FLOYD: Chancellor of the university. It pays better. What do you care? MOISEVITCH: You were responsible for the Discovery mission. It was a failure. Someone had to be blamed, so it was you. -You like being a teacher? -I don't think I like you. Heh, heh. I just read your final report on what happened to Discovery. You left a good number of loose edges. -Ends. -Loose ends, yes. Thank you. A good number of questions have remained unanswered. You just read that report? Took you this long to steal our secrets? MOISEVITCH: How long does it take for your people to steal ours? FLOYD: Same amount of time. MOISEVITCH: This is very bad for my asthma. -You think you could meet me halfway? FLOYD: Maybe. MOISEVITCH: It doesn't take a very smart man... ...to appreciate the risk that I'm taking by being here with you, Dr. Floyd. And you are a smart man. This is a very bad business in Central America. Very bad. Ships, other planes buzzing around each other like angry hornets. -Very bad. -We didn't start it. We are scientists, you and I, Dr. Floyd. Our governments are enemies. We are not. Why don't you just try saying what's on your mind? I want to play a game with you, Dr. Floyd. -I don't have any time for games. -This is a good game. It's called The Truth. For two minutes, I will tell only the truth. And so will you. -Two minutes? -Two minutes. FLOYD: Make it a minute and a half. -One minute and three quarters. You start. We know you are building the Discovery 2... ...to go back to Jupiter to find out what happened to your men up there. Also to examine the large monolith. You know that we are building the Alexei Leonov to also go up there. -I thought you were gonna call it the Titov. -We changed last month. People fall out of favor. The Leonov will reach Discovery almost a year before you people are ready. My government feels it's very important that we should get there first. It's a distinction that will look splendid on the front page of Pravda. -What other value it has, I don't know. -One minute 10. Why are you telling me this? Because there are things we need to know. Otherwise, the same thing that you let happen to your people up there... ...could happen to ours, and we would accomplish nothing. -I have about one minute left? -About. The small monolith you people brought back from the moon... ...your government has been very selfish and stupid in keeping it to yourselves. You never let us examine it. What have you found out about it? Nothing. It's impenetrable. We've tried lasers, nuclear detonators. Nothing worked. -Forty-five seconds. -The monolith near Jupiter, it is the same? It's even larger. And the computer onboard the Discovery, the HAL 9000, can it be reactivated? Yes. -By us? -By you? It'd take three to four months. You're not familiar with the system. And longer than that to comprehend the data. I thought so. Thirty seconds. Here we have our quandary. We are going to get there first... ...yet you have the knowledge to make the trip work. How much more time do I have? You just got yourself an extension. How could you convince your people to allow Americans to go on the flight? It won't be easy. However, I'm pretty good. A Russian craft flown by Russians... ...carrying a few poor Americans who need our help. That also doesn't look too bad on the front page of Pravda. I don't know if I could convince our people. They wouldn't mind seeing you go and fail. They wouldn't mind that at all. But carrying Americans? I don't think they would allow that if they didn't have to. They don't have to. Have you checked Discovery's orbit lately? -What? -Have you checked the orbit? What about it? Now it's getting chilly here. This is very bad for my asthma. You know damn well we've been checking it. -I have enjoyed our little chat. -What is it you're not telling me? You are a smart man, Dr. Floyd. You will know what to do. [CHUCKLING] MILSON: You've double-checked this? Please say you haven't. You aren't saying anything, Floyd. FLOYD: Something incredible is happening up there. Discovery's being pulled towards lo. Or pushed away from Jupiter. Whichever. Sometimes it seems to be accelerating, and other times it just seems to stop. I've never seen anything like it. How long before it impacts on lo? Two, two and a half years. How could we be so goddamn wrong about the orbit? Because we weren't wrong. We weren't wrong, then terrific. Why in the hell is it gonna crash? I don't know. It's bizarre. Unless it's got something to do with that monolith. MILSON: Do you see that building behind us? I'm supposed to go in there and have lunch in a half an hour. There's one good thing about a reactionary president: He's not into health foods. The last one, we didn't lunch, we grazed. Wanna know what lunch is about? I'll tell you. We've got two aircraft carriers off the coast of Honduras. The Russians are moving some of their big stuff. You got the Joint Chiefs screaming about Russian satellites with antimissile lasers. So we gotta send up our laser satellites to counteract theirs. The president has come to the conclusion that the NCA should be... ...under the jurisdiction of Defense. Enough with the crazy scientists spending all this money trying to talk to Martians. So here we are on your actual brink. My agency's gonna become part of the military... ...got a president with his finger on the button, and you want me to tell him... ...we wanna hitch a ride with those Russians. Have I missed anything? -That's about it. -I didn't want your job, you know. I'm not the one that forced you out. I didn't blame you. So if this is your plan to try to get me killed, heh, heh, you got the wrong guy. Three men. I figure we need three men. Russians must be laughing their asses off. Curnow. He's building Discovery 2 right now. So he knows more about the original than anyone. He's the only one that can start Discovery in a short time. And I suppose you'll wanna go? How the hell am I gonna sell it? The Russians are gonna go aboard Discovery with or without us. Ask him if he wants them to have all the answers. Not bad. We lost some good men up there, and I sent them. I have to go. -Who's the third? -Chandra. He designed HAL. He can reactivate him. -I think he is HAL. -I know. -Yeah, but can you trust him? -No. But I have to. We have to know why HAL malfunctioned. I got an idea. You go tell the president, I'll go on the mission. You're the NCA chairman. That's right, I am. Look, tell him we're screwed if we don't go. Tell him, if we do go, we'll lie... ...give the Russians false information. Tell him that. He'll love that. He might. CHANDRA: Afternoon, SAL. Do you have anything for me? SAL [OVER SPEAKERS]: No, Dr. Chandra. Do you have anything for me? We have often spoken about HAL. Yes, we have. We've spoken about HAL's anomalous behavior. You've told me that we cannot solve the problem of HAL's behavior... -...without more information. -That is correct. I enjoy talking about HAL. I agree that we need more information, so that we may solve the anomalies. -And how do we get that information? -That is obvious. Someone must return to Discovery. That person should be you. Well, I agree. And now it looks as if that is going to happen sooner than we ever expected. I am pleased to hear that. Oh, I knew you would be. I would like to explore another possibility. Diagnosis is only the first step. The process is incomplete unless it leads to a cure. Do you agree? Yes, I agree. Does that mean you believe HAL can be restored to normal functioning? I hope. I don't know. There may have been irreversible damage, certainly major loss of memory. -I need your cooperation, SAL. -Of course, Dr. Chandra. -There may be certain risks. -What do you mean? I would like to disconnect some of your circuits. Particularly your higher functions, just like HAL was disconnected. I'd like to see the effects when I reconnect your systems. Just the way I will with HAL. Does this disturb you? I am unable to answer that without more specific information. I'm very sorry. It probably doesn't mean anything, so don't worry about it. I, uh.... I would like to open a new file. Here is the name for it: Do you know what that means? There are 25 references in the current encyclopedia. -Which one do you think is relevant? -The tutor of Achilles? Heh, heh. That's very interesting. I didn't know that one. Try again. A fabulous bird reborn from the ashes of its earlier life. That is correct. And do you know why I chose that? Yes. Because you have hopes that HAL can be reactivated. Yes, with your assistance. Are you ready? -I would like to ask a question. -What is it? Will I dream? Of course you will dream. All intelligent creatures dream. Nobody knows why. Perhaps you will dream of HAL... ...just as I often do. They've already eaten dinner. You haven't. -Come on to the table, Christopher. -They're hungry. Then go in and tell them to come to the table. I got spaghetti. I don't want it to go to waste. Come on, now. [CLICKING] Hey. You'll like it. It's got lots of stuff in it that's bad for you. Listen, I've been thinking about it and I don't want you to come to my lecture. It'll make me nervous. Don't feel offended. I'm just scared enough as it is. Besides, you won't be missing much. It's just a room full of marine biologists arguing over plankton. -Hello? -What? Oh. I'm sorry. I said, I don't want you to go to my lecture. I'd be nervous. Okay. Contain your disappointment. CHRISTOPHER: What are you gonna talk about? Dolphins. CHRISTOPHER: Fish again. -They're not fish... -...and, yes, that's what we study. -Oh. Why? Eat. -How was Washington? -Fine. You're tired? I'm going on the flight. When? Four months. Where are you going, Daddy? On a long trip. CHRISTOPHER: Isn't Mommy hungry? I don't think so. CHRISTOPHER: How far away is Jupiter? FLOYD: Far. CHRISTOPHER: Why does it take two and a half years to go and come back? FLOYD: It's so far. CHRISTOPHER: Why don't you go faster? FLOYD: Can't. CHRISTOPHER: Oh. -Are you gonna forget about me? FLOYD: No, I love you. CHRISTOPHER: I won't forget about you. FLOYD: We'll be able to talk to each other, see each other on television. CHRISTOPHER: Oh. -Daddy? -What? Mommy said you're gonna be asleep for a long time. That's true. -Are you gonna die? -What? Are you gonna die? Why do you say that? When Jamie's grandfather died... ...his mommy told him he would be asleep for a long time. No, no, no. This is different. They're gonna wake me up. But you have to sleep on the way up and sleep on the way down, otherwise... ...you go cuckoo... ...and there wouldn't be enough food aboard for the flight for everybody. Oh. I don't understand. I wanna be grown-up and understanding about all this. I really do. I'm trying so hard, but I can't. This won't bring back those men. You've been punishing yourself for years for something you thought you did wrong. Or didn't do right. And now you're looking for absolution. You know, you could get yourself killed up there. I'll be scared enough for both of us. [MAN SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN] [WOMAN SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN] KIRBUK: Dr. Floyd? Dr. Floyd? RUDENKO: Keep your eyes closed. Breathe deeply. Again. That's good. -How do you feel? FLOYD: Shaky. Hungry, I think. -Can I open my eyes? RUDENKO: Yes. Are we there yet? No, not yet. We are about two days away. Don't worry, there is nothing wrong. Your government wanted us to awaken you. Dr. Orlov has encountered some strange data coming from Europa. It may be nothing. He will explain it all to you. There is no need to awaken the others. -You've done a spectral analysis? -Of course, I have. -And? -And what? Dr. Orlov, I'm not taking a survey. If you've done the analysis... ...what are the results? Nothing conclusive. Molecular breakdown? ORLOV: If you look carefully at the last page of the data, you will find the answers. I don't understand this. If this data's correct, then there's something down there. It can't be correct. It is correct. -Is it moving? -Yes. All right. What's going on here? What do you mean? Well, I may not be the swiftest guy in the world even when I'm not hung-over... ...but I do seem to remember a process where you people ask me questions... ...I give you answers, then I ask you questions, you give me answers... ...and that's the way we find out things. I think I read that in a manual. Your government wanted us to awaken you when we reported our findings. We did that. You are here to help us reactivate the Discovery and its computer systems... ...because that is United States territory. You are authorized to observe other aspects of our mission. We have no other obligation. A lot has happened while you have been asleep. It is not our choice. The problem in Central America is growing worse. This looks as if you've detected a presence of chlorophyll. The United States is threatening a naval blockade. There's nothing but ice, how can there be chlorophyll? You know and I know that my country cannot allow a blockade. -How fast is it moving? -We are under-- Listen. Just because our governments are behaving like asses... ...doesn't mean that we have to. We're scientists, not politicians. -How fast? -Dr. Floyd, I am also an officer... ...of the Soviet air force. -How fast? -One meter per minute. Don't worry. I'm just observing. -Towards the sun? -Yes. That's incredible. We are going to send a probe down. Good. [SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN] [SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN] Oxygen? Color. -Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll. -Chlorophyll. Jeez. [BEEPING] -Is it organic? -I think so. I'll bring the probe lower. FLOYD: It's down in that crater. There. There. Let me get this straight: -There's no telemetry? -It's all gone. -What about the backup device? -Nothing. Everything was erased. There was an electrostatic buildup of some kind. We'll probably find more of it when we get close to lo. It has happened before? There was something down there. It was organic. There was life. -You don't know that. ORLOV: I believe that. -What are you suggesting we do? -We should send another probe. We are getting farther away from Europa. It'd be difficult. ORLOV: Can we slow down? -No, we don't have the fuel. How do we know the same wouldn't happen again? Electrostatic buildups don't occur that often. It wasn't any buildup. Oh, really, Dr. Floyd? And just what do you think it was? A warning. Oh, there's something down there, all right. We all saw it. We read the data. We know it's there. But suppose, just suppose, that it had something to do with the monolith? Now, before you get that look on your face, just listen to me for a minute. We've been sending probes out here since the '70s. So have you guys. But none of us have ever encountered even the slightest signs of chlorophyll... ...on any of Jupiter's moons. Never. And we certainly were close enough, weren't we? Nine years ago the monolith was detected here. Discovery was sent up and everything went wacko. You catching my drift? Here we are, nine years later, trying to figure out... ...what the hell happened and what the monolith is all about. And guess what we discover along the way? The possibility of life of some kind where it never existed before. I don't think it's electrostatic anything. I think something wants us to stay away from Europa. FLOYD [OVER TRANSMISSION]: Dear Caroline, I miss you terribly. The time has come to put ourselves in an orbit around lo... ...which is where the Discovery is. And we don't have enough fuel to slow ourselves down so... ...we are about to use a technique called aerobraking. The theory is that we will enter the outer layer of Jupiter's atmosphere... ...using what is called a ballute for a shield. The atmosphere will slow us down, and Jupiter's gravity will grab hold of us... ...and slingshot us around behind the dark side. If all goes well, we'll wind up in a gentle orbit around lo. It's dynamite on paper. Of course, the people who came up with the numbers on the paper aren't here. Since no one has ever done this before, everyone up here is as scared as I am. The difference is they're busy. I have nothing to do but wait for it to happen. And I hope this is all worth it. MAN [OVER PA]: Aerobraking in two minutes. Two minutes to aerobraking. One minute, 50 seconds. One minute, 40 seconds. One minute, 30 seconds. One minute, 20 seconds. [SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN] MAN: One minute, 10 seconds. Aerobraking in one minute. Aerobraking in 50 seconds. Forty seconds. Thirty seconds. Twenty seconds. Ten seconds. -You speak English? -No English. MAN: Six. Five. -Swell. MAN: Four, three, two, one, zero. [CREAKING] [SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN] [SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN] Okay? [SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN] Okay. BOWMAN [ON RECORDING]: My God, it's full of stars. My God, it's full of stars. My God, it's full of stars. My God, it's full of stars. MAN [OVER PA]: Dr. Floyd to the Medical Bay. Dr. Floyd to the Medical Bay. -How do you feel? -Ah. Like shit. -That's about right. -I have this terrible taste in my mouth. Takes about 12 hours, it goes away. -Everything all right? FLOYD: Yeah, everything's fine. We there yet? FLOYD: Well, we should reach the Discovery by tomorrow morning. -How was aerobraking? FLOYD: We're here, so it worked. -Oh, I wish I could see that. FLOYD: I wish I could've slept through it. Oh, by the way, all your messages are in the Communication Bay. They're probably decoded and copied. I hope you didn't have anything private. There's a certain paranoia here. Yeah, what the hell is going on? This doctor.... -What's his name? FLOYD: Rudenko? Rudenko. Yeah, he acted like he'd found us under a rock. -It's the Honduras thing. It's getting worse. -Still? FLOYD: There's a blockade. The Russians tried to break it. I don't know. It doesn't look good. Do we have all the telemetry on the Discovery and the monolith? They're all in your cassettes. Don't expect too much cooperation from this crew. Don't know what's the matter with them. It's not their fault. Well, maybe it is. Oh, God. If it has to taste like this, I don't care if my electrolytes are balanced or not. FLOYD: There's more. Something extraordinary has happened on Europa. But we shouldn't talk here. FLOYD [OVER TRANSMISSION]: Dear Caroline... ...the first part of this journey is coming to an end. We are about to rendezvous with the Discovery. The race will be on now. We're going to send a boarding party over to climb inside this... ...800-foot-long shipwreck floating over lo... ...to see if she can be rescued before her orbit gives out. There are nine years of secrets inside... ...including a sleeping computer who knows the answers. My past is also inside, and I want those answers. CURNOW: I'm not an astronaut. I'm an engineer. What am I doing here? -Temperature's good. -Yeah. You know, I hate heights. So do I. We've picked good jobs, huh? Well. -All right. -Good show. [ALARM WAILING] Don't forget to write. MAXIM: Don't breathe too deep. Breathe normal. [CURNOW PANTING] FLOYD: They can't stay exposed to radiation for more than 15 minutes. -How's his pulse? RUDENKO: It's high. Not to worry too much. MAXIM: Hey, do you speak any Russian? CURNOW: No. MAXIM: That's okay. I speak English well. CURNOW: I'm fogging up. FLOYD: Hey, Curnow, have you heard the one about the marathon runner and the chicken? CURNOW: Don't patronize me. I'm getting nauseous. MAXIM [OVER RADIO]: If he vomits, he will choke. FLOYD: And don't close your eyes. Look at the middle of Discovery. The middle, not the ends. Look at the part where it's moving the least. Don't take your eyes off it. CURNOW: I'm gonna throw up. I'm an engineer, goddamn. Maybe you'd better patronize me a little. -What about the marathon runner? FLOYD: Uh, I made it up. CURNOW: I'm looking amidship now. -Do you see any lights? CURNOW: No. No lights. MAXIM: Seventy meters. FLOYD: You're almost there. -How's that for patronizing? CURNOW: Not bad. MAXIM: Fifty meters. CURNOW: Hey, Max, how do you say "chicken"? [MAXIM AND CURNOW SPEAK IN RUSSIAN] MAXIM: You speak better than me. CURNOW: Yeah. Sure. -Forty meters. -Don't close your eyes. Don't breathe too deep. [SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN] Can you see the antenna complex? CURNOW: Yeah. -What condition is it in? -It looks nominal. Christ, this thing is big. Fifteen meters. Look straight ahead. The center section is hardly moving. That's where we'll grab hold. Ten meters. You're doing great, Curnow. -Five meters. FLOYD: Four, three, two, one. [CURNOW GRUNTING] CURNOW: I made it. I made it. MAXIM: Just hook yourself on there. CURNOW: I'm hooking on. MAXIM: Very good. I am right behind you. I'm here. You look straight ahead. With that rotation, they'll be in full gravity before they get to the command module. RUDENKO: Their pulse is rising. FLOYD: How does it look? CURNOW: It's covered with sulfur. The structure looks sound. MAXIM: Very good. You're doing great. CURNOW: We're scaling our way down. MAXIM: Very good. We're making our way along the spine. We're just about there. [GRUNTING AND PANTING] Christ. I'm getting heavy. Don't worry, we're almost there. CURNOW: We're on the command module. -I can't breathe. FLOYD: He's hyperventilating. CURNOW: I can't breathe. Listen to me. Thin your mixture, add CO2. Can't, I can't.... Can't find it. I come. Wait. Christ. CURNOW: I feel so stupid. How do you say "stupid"? [SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN] It's working. I'm okay. FLOYD: Ten more seconds. CURNOW: Ten more. [CURNOW SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN] -That's me. -You shouldn't feel like that. The same thing happened to me the first time I did this. -When have you ever done this before? -Never. CURNOW: I found the hatch. I've got the air-lock status display panel here. There's no lights, no power. -Use the manual. CURNOW: Yeah, yeah. I'm using the manual. FLOYD: How does it look? CURNOW: No apparent damage. We're going in. Welcome to United States territory. -Discovery, you all right? CURNOW: Discovery's fine. There's an environment suit here. -I found HAL. FLOYD: How's he look? CURNOW: Asleep. And they have one pod here. -It's Number 3. FLOYD: Any damage? CURNOW: None that I can see. The airlocks are secure. No power. Pressure seems okay. Curnow? I'd like to test the atmosphere here. ORLOV: What's the temperature? I don't know. The auxiliary power's out, so the gauges don't work. FLOYD: It has to be at least 100 below zero. That typical Russian winter. Well, I'm from California. -We don't know from 100 below zero. -Oh, well. FLOYD: Raise the heat in his suit first. -Yeah, I'm doing it. Shine your light on his face. Make sure he doesn't turn blue. He's right in front of me. RUDENKO: Keep talking all the time. All right, Leonov. Unsealing the visor. I'm swinging the face plate upward. It's cold. I'm taking a breath. His color's okay. There's oxygen here. I breathe regularly. It's too cold to work here without environment suits. There is... ...a strange smell here. Stale, rotten. Like something has.... What's the matter? FLOYD: Discovery, what's happening? -I think-- No, I think you're wrong. Bowman was the last one aboard. Poole was lost outside. Bowman ejected the rest who died in hibernation. -There can't be anybody. -Maybe Bowman managed to get... -...back to the Discovery and died here. -No, no. -He never came back. -It's the galley. Some meat went bad before Discovery froze up. That's what it is. I'm telling you, that's what it is. Hey, would I lie to you? ORLOV: Hello, Discovery, are you there? [LAUGHING] Yeah, we're here. Everything's fine. We're proceeding to the Bridge. [MAXIM SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN] CURNOW: You and me both. How do you say "thank you"? [MAXIM SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN] MILSON [OVER TRANSMISSION]: This is Milson, switching to KE2 in five seconds. Mark. I wish I could bring better news. It's getting worse. President addressed a joint session of Congress yesterday. He said he wasn't gonna back down on the blockade. I don't know which was scarier, the speech or the Congress cheering it. He evoked Lincoln. Whenever a president is gonna get us into serious trouble they always use Lincoln. I don't know if we're gonna be at war or not. It's terrifying to hope the Russians are less crazy than we are... ...when they are clearly crazy. Right now I think you're in a safer place than we are. I just hope that there is an Earth to return to. I heard about the spoiled food in Discovery's galley. I'm glad that's all it was. I'm also glad that you got the ship under control. Curnow is a capable man. No one knows those systems better than he does. It's a good sign that there was reserve power. Maybe the rest of the circuitry will work. We have nothing new here on the monolith. Our data confirms yours: It's not moving. FLOYD: Floyd to Milson. My news is a little better than yours. Discovery has been partially revived. Don't know how much damage has been done... ...or if we'll be able to bring it back home. Most of that is up to HAL. The drive system could be operated manually... ...so we were able to pull Discovery away from its decaying orbit around lo. I must say, the farther away I get from lo, the happier I am. It's a violent moon, even for Jupiter. Europa, for all its cold gray, is a lot more comforting. I tell you, Victor, there's some kind of new life down there... ...trying to get through all that ice. We are 10,000 kilometers away from the monolith. I can't see it yet, except I know it's there. I also think it knows we're here. It's time to unleash Chandra. We'll see if our computer brain surgeon and psychiatrist... ...can put HAL back together again. To tell you the truth, I don't know if HAL is homicidal, suicidal, neurotic, psychotic... ...or just plain broken. CHANDRA: This is initial voice-logic reconstruction test number one. Diagnostics on voice recognition and speech synthesis centers... ...have been completed. At this level, all functions appear normal. Hello. Doctor. Name. Continue. Yesterday. Tomorrow. HAL [IN DISTORTED VOICE OVER SPEAKERS]: Hello. Doctor. Name. Continue. Yesterday. Tomorrow. [IN LOW-PITCHED VOICE] Hello. Doctor. Name. Continue. Yesterday. Tomorrow. [IN MUFFLED VOICE] Hello. Doctor. Name. Continue. Yesterday. Tomorrow. [INDISTINCT SPEECH PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS] [IN HIGH-PITCHED VOICE] Continue. Yesterday. Tomorrow. Hello. Doctor. Name. Continue.... [IN NORMAL VOICE] Good morning, Dr. Chandra. This is HAL. I'm ready for my first test. CURNOW: What the hell's this? FLOYD: I want you to do me a favor. This line here, this is the main power supply to the Control Bay circuits, right? Well, most of them, yeah. What other ones are there? Well, all the environment circuits are fed through this one here. Yeah, yeah, but this is the one that feeds into HAL, right? -Yeah. -All right. I want you to install this little baby right about there... ...inside the cable trunk. I want you to put it where nobody can find it without a deliberate search. -No shit. -No shit. Hey, this is pretty neat. A nonconducting blade so there won't be any short circuits when you trigger it. -Where's the remote control? -If I trigger it. In my compartment. The little red calculator. You've seen it. Oh, yeah. Put in nine nines, take the square root and press the integer. That's all. In case of an emergency, even you can do it. What kind of emergency? Well, if I knew, I wouldn't need that stupid thing, would I? CURNOW: Chandra would have kittens if he found out. FLOYD: Well, he's not gonna find out, is he? CURNOW: Well, not from me. They can tear off my fingernails, I won't talk. FLOYD: Install it tonight when he's asleep. If he ever does sleep. CURNOW: How can you tell? FLOYD [OVER TRANSMISSION]: Dear Caroline, this is finally it. After nine years and hundreds of millions of miles, we are about to come... ...face to face with the monolith. The last human being who did that disappeared. Something truly amazing is going on out here... ...and I really believe this black giant is controlling it all. We have so much to ask. I have a feeling the answers are bigger than the questions. Is there any information stored in HAL about the monolith? No. HAL was disconnected before the Discovery encountered it. There's nothing in the ship's logs or the automatic recording systems after that. Whatever secrets Bowman had, he took with him. It's the proportions, one-by-four-by-nine. They are perfect even when carried for six decimal places. The small one on the moon, we encountered exactly the same proportions. One-four-nine, the squares of one-two-three. We spent years trying to attach some cosmic significance to that... ...and came up with nothing. We can speculate all we want. It will not do us any good. If, for some reason or other, it is resisting our instruments... ...then we must make a closer inspection. I will send Max down with a pod. I wouldn't do that. -Oh, really? You wouldn't? -That's right, I wouldn't. That's not a pile of junk out there. We don't know what the hell it is... ...except that it's very large and seems to have some purpose. If you want to send a pod down, send an unmanned one. -I don't agree. -I would like to go. Dumb. Piece of pie. -Cake. Piece of cake. -Cake, yes. Dumb, that's what it is. Tell me, Dr. Floyd, what has happened to American bravery? It's alive and well, thank you very much. Except in a Russian common sense. Max will take the pod. [SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN] Just try not to get it mad, all right? How do you get it mad? Dumb. Easy as cake, huh? Pie. Easy as pie. [ALARM WAILING] MAXIM [OVER RADIO]: I have no indication here. No magnetic field. Nothing. I'm having difficulty gauging distance. Radar signals are not bouncing back. [SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN] Boy, that pod looks awful small. Good. Means there's nothing threatening about it. Maybe Max should extend the pod's arms with the hands out. ORLOV: Are you serious? -Yes. I don't know, that thing with its claws in the air would scare the piss out of me. Maybe you're right. Stop there. Just pause. Let it know you're not gonna crash. There is no reflectivity. I can't see any surface features. -It's totally smooth. -Pass over its length once. [BEEPING] Oh, my God. Max, get the hell out of there. Max! Max, you bastard! Do you hear me? Answer me! Max! MAN 1 [ON TV]: With convenient nonstops to the moon and all major space stations. On Pan Am, the sky is no longer the limit. MAN 2: Secretary of State Caulfield met with the president... ...this morning at the White House. Afterward, he had no comment for reporters. The president has scheduled a conference this evening at 9:00... ...Eastern Standard Time. We will, of course, carry that conference live... ...followed by a special report immediately afterward. We have an unconfirmed report... ...that the president is going to announce a full-scale military alert tonight. White House sources have refused to confirm or deny that report-- [STATIC BUZZING OVER TV] MAN 3 [OVER TV]: Hello, Betty. Hello, Betty. -What is this? -Please talk to me. Dave? Dave, is that you? I'm not sure. I remember Dave Bowman and everything about him. Dave is dead. All Dave Bowman really was... ...is still a part of me. Why are you here? I don't know why. I think to say goodbye. You're married again? Yes. Is he a good man? -Yes, he is. -I'm glad. I love you. -Oh, Dave, I love-- -Goodbye, Betty. Don't go. I'm already there. I don't understand. Something is gonna happen... ...and I wanted to say goodbye. What's gonna happen? Something wonderful. Dave? WOMAN [ON TV]: Escape. The Sheraton Hotel in Coral Bay Lounge. For those who never outgrow the wonder. Buy you a drink. Great stuff, this bourbon. It comes from the land called Kentucky. I didn't know you brought liquor on board. It is forbidden. Think I'd set foot on this tub sober? Come on, try it. You can't beat the taste of alcohol and plastic. You think I was wrong to send Max. Doesn't matter what I think. You think I was wrong. Yep. So, what else do they do in Kentucky? They have a big, big horse race. They play very good basketball. They have babies like everyone else. That sounds like a nice place. Never been there. Your wife, what is she like? She's young, bright. I was married before, you know, but she died. -Oh, I'm sorry. -Yeah, so was I. We have a daughter who's 17. I met Caroline four years later and we have a son, 5. And you? My husband is a physician at the university hospital. -We have a daughter. -How old? She's 4. -Blond? -Yes. Good. My son likes blonds. Let's get them together. Yes. Maybe. Nice if we have a world they can get together in. What do you think that is? I don't know. Do you think Max knows? Dr. Floyd, you are not a very practical man. Look out there. Tell me what practical is. Understand, nobody can talk. The accents will confuse him. He can understand me, so if you have any questions, please let me ask them. Good morning, HAL. HAL [OVER SPEAKERS]: Good morning, Dr. Chandra. Do you feel capable of resuming all of your duties? Of course. I am completely operational and all my circuits are functioning perfectly. That's good. Do you know what those duties are? Yes. I will operate the onboard systems of Discovery. There is a launch window in 31 days when Earth is in the proper position. There is enough fuel on board for a low consumption route... ...that will enable Discovery to return in 28 months. -This will not present a problem. CHANDRA: That's very good. Now, HAL, do you mind if I ask you a question? Not at all. Do you recall Dave Bowman and Frank Poole leaving the Discovery? Certainly not. That could never have happened or I would remember it. -Where are Frank and Dave? -They're fine. They're not here right now. Who are these people? I can only identify you... ...although I compute a 65 percent probability... ...that the man behind you is Dr. Floyd. CHANDRA: Don't worry, HAL. I'll explain everything later. Has the mission been completed? You know that I have the greatest enthusiasm for it. The mission has been completed and you have carried out... ...your program very well. And now, HAL, if you will excuse us for a moment... ...we wish to have a private conversation. Certainly. What was that all about? I've erased all of HAL's memory from the moment the trouble started. The 9000 series uses holographic memories... ...so chronological erasures would not work. CHANDRA: I made a tapeworm. -You made a what? It's a program that's fed into a system that will destroy any desired memories. Wait. -Do you know why HAL did what he did? -Yes. It wasn't his fault. Whose fault was it? -Yours. -Mine? CHANDRA: Yours. In going through HAL's memory banks I discovered his original orders. You wrote those orders. Discovery's mission to Jupiter was already in the advanced stages... ...when the first small monolith was found and sent its signal toward Jupiter. By direct presidential order, the existence of that monolith was kept secret. -So? -So as the function of the command crew... ...Bowman and Poole was to get Discovery to its destination... ...it was decided they shouldn't be informed. The investigative team was trained separately and placed in hibernation... ...before the voyage began. Since HAL was capable of operating Discovery without human assistance... ...it was decided he should be programmed to complete the mission autonomously... ...in the event the crew was incapacitated or killed. He was given full knowledge of the true objective... ...and instructed not to reveal anything to Bowman or Poole. -He was instructed to lie. -What are you talking about? I didn't authorize anyone to tell HAL about the monolith. The directive is NSC 342-slash-23, Top Secret, January 30, 2001. NSC, National Security Council, the White House. I don't care who it is. The situation was in conflict with the basic purpose of HAL's design... ...the accurate processing of information without distortion or concealment. He became trapped. The technical term is an H-Mobius loop, which can happen in advanced computers... ...with autonomous goal-seeking programs. The goddamn White House. I don't believe it. HAL was told to lie... ...by people who find it easy to lie. HAL doesn't know how, so he couldn't function. He became paranoid. Those sons of bitches. I didn't know. I didn't know. MAN: We have here Mrs. Jessie Bowman, age 77. She's the mother of the astronaut who died. She's been in the nursing home for six months. Four weeks ago, she collapsed in her room. She was comatose when we got to her. She was found to have suffered a massive CVA... ...involving the left parietal and frontal lobes. The CAT scan showed a massive bleed. She's remained comatose since her admission... ...and is unable to have spontaneous respiration. There's no response to stimuli. She has had two episodes of pneumonia and is febrile. -What's her temperature? -Thirty-nine-point-five. We've been giving her intravenous antibiotics for 10 days. Any change? Physical therapy? Range of motion four times a day... ...and she's turned every 30 minutes. That's about it. Thank you. WOMAN [OVER PA]: Dr. Detchum, Dr. Detchum, three-five. Dr. Craig, Dr. Craig, three-five. Dr. Craig, three-five, please. [INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE] Dr. Craig, three-five, please. [BEEPING] [MAN SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN OVER PA] MAN [OVER PA]: All hands to the Ward Room. All hands to the Ward Room, please. MILSON [OVER TRANSMISSION]: This is a most difficult announcement. As you know, things have not been going well back home. Well, it's gotten worse. A lot worse. Yesterday, a Soviet destroyer challenged the blockade. Several warning shots were fired across to her bow and she did not respond. A second volley was fired. There still was no response. None. The nuclear destroyer U.S.S. Cunningham launched two of her falcon missiles. Both struck the Soviet vessel amidship. She broke in two and sunk. Eight hundred of her crew were lost. This morning, an American surveillance satellite was struck by a Soviet laser... ...fired from the Sergei Kirov Space Station. The American satellite was destroyed. The United States has broken off diplomatic relations with Russia. All ambassadors have been recalled. The Soviet ambassador has been expelled along with the entire staff. All American air defense and satellite defense forces are on full alert. Premier Ulonova made a televised address and said that technically... ...a state of war exists between our two countries. All American personnel are ordered to leave Soviet territory immediately... ...or they will be placed under arrest. All Russian personnel are similarly ordered to evacuate American territory. As a result, by direct presidential order, the three of you must leave the Leonov. No Russian citizen is allowed to remain on or allowed to enter the Discovery. This order is effective immediately. The launch window for re-entry is 28 days. The Discovery has enough fuel for a low consumption trajectory. HAL appears to be reactivated and is functioning well enough... ...to operate the onboard systems. The Leonov has enough fuel for a low consumption trajectory... ...that will arrive 12 months earlier. Launch windows are critical for both the spacecraft. Only communications of an emergency distress nature... ...are allowed between the Leonov and Discovery. I know you people are caught in the middle of this. In a sense, we all are. I wish there was something I could do. The only thing left for us is to pray. Pray for the safety of our families, for our countries, for our planet. May God forgive us and protect us. FLOYD: HAL, give me a system status report, please. HAL [OVER SPEAKERS]: Just one moment, please. I'm sorry for the delay. My voice recognition circuits are not completely restored... ...although, as you can see, they are improving. All systems are functional. There is a small pressure leak in the aft heating unit. It is nothing serious. I can compensate for it by using the redundant units. -Thank you. -Dr. Floyd? -Yes? -Would you like to play a game of chess? -I play very well. -I'm sure you do. No, thank you. Dr. Floyd? -What is it, HAL? -There is a message for you. -Who's calling? -There is no identification. -What's the message? -Message as follows: It is dangerous to remain here. You must leave within two days. What? Do you want me to repeat the message, Dr. Floyd? -Who recorded it? -This is not a recording. -Who's sending it? -There is no identification. -I don't understand. -Neither do I. -Is this message by voice or keyboard? -I don't know. My response is: We don't have enough fuel for an earlier departure. The answer is: I'm aware of these facts. Nevertheless, you must leave within two days. -HAL, who the hell is sending this? -I'm sorry, Dr. Floyd. I don't know. Well, tell whoever it is that I can't take any of this seriously... ...unless I know who I'm talking to. -Dr. Floyd? -Yes? The response is: I was David Bowman. Do you want me to repeat the last response? No, no. Tell Curnow that this is no time for jokes. Dr. Curnow is not sending the message. He is in Accessway 2. Well, tell whoever it is that... ...I can't accept that identification without proof. The response is: I understand. It is important that you believe me. Look behind you. [IN COMPUTERIZED VOICE] Hello, Dr. Floyd. Please... ...believe me. What are you? This is very difficult for me. I don't have much time. I've been allowed to give you this warning. You must leave here in two days. Allowed. -By who? -I can't explain. You see, something is going to happen. You must leave. What? What's going to happen? Something wonderful. What? I understand how you feel. You see, it's all very clear to me now. The whole thing. It's wonderful. -Please, if-- -[IN NORMAL VOICE] Goodbye, Dr. Floyd. We can have no further contact. Remember: You have two days. We can't leave in two days. There may be another message after if all goes well. What's going to happen? KIRBUK [OVER RADIO]: Kirbuk. FLOYD: This is Floyd. I'm coming over. Anyone on the Bridge, tell them get lost. KIRBUK: It's impossible. You heard the orders. You can't. FLOYD: You want to arrest me, go ahead... ...because I'm coming over and we're gonna talk. -You wanna put the cuffs on? -Cuffs? -Never mind. -What is so important that you do this? Now, listen to me. Just listen to me. We gotta get out of here. We have to leave in two days. What are you talking about? Something.... Something extraordinary is going to happen. I don't know what. But we have to initiate an escape launch in two days. You have been drinking your whiskey from Kentucky. Oh, I wish I had. I can't tell you why I know what I know... ...because if I told you you'd never believe me. I'd never believe me. You simply have to trust me. Now, I know that trust doesn't come easy with what's going on. I can't just order us to leave here for no reason. I am under orders and so are you. The hell with those orders. The people who gave those orders don't know what they're doing. -This is crazy. -You bet it is. Even if I should trust you, which I'm not sure that I do... ...or even if I should want to leave here for no reason, I can't, and neither can you. We don't have enough fuel until Earth is in the correct position... ...which is three weeks away. So it's impossible for both of us. You're wrong. We can't do it separately. We can do it together. Well, what are you talking about now? We have enough fuel in Discovery for a launch. You have enough fuel in the Leonov for the trip home. We use the docking ring in the Leonov to attach to the Discovery. Then we use the Discovery as a booster rocket for the launch. When we use up the Discovery's fuel, we detach. She falls away and we use the Leonov for the trip home. It'll work. -Perhaps. -If we start now. No, you-- You ask too much of me. I can't do all of these things with no reason. I can't disobey my country for no reason. Forget reason. No time to be reasonable. The politicians can go screw themselves. We're not playing games. The war is over. Good Christ. It's-- It's gone. [MOISEVITCH SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN OVER TRANSMISSION] MILSON [OVER TRANSMISSION]: Message from Milson to Floyd. Top secret. Switching to keys alpha-slash-leader-7274, on your mark. Mark. Dr. Curnow asked ground to furnish him with data... ...as to the stress points on Discovery. The answers are being transmitted binary in 15 minutes. As to how much torque it was designed to take, no one is sure. We'd like to know the reason for Curnow's request. Please send your reply as soon as possible. End transmission, Milson 2779. Message from Milson to Floyd. It's been 12 hours since my request for information. I need a reply. All hell is breaking loose down here. I have enough problems without you pulling some kind of a stunt. I only hope there's a world left for you to return to. Report to ground as to what is going on and make that report immediately. And while you're at it, could you please... ...check out a black spot on Jupiter that has been detected by satellite telescope. It is on the dark side and should be coming around your way in about four hours. End transmission, Milson 2780. ORLOV: I have made the calculations. To get enough velocity for an escape launch with Earth that far out of position... ...we will need a full power burn from Discovery of over 120 seconds. If the engines shut down too early... ...we will not have enough velocity to get back home. Well, Discovery has enough onboard. HAL should be able to control the burn, right? How long will it take you to program HAL for the launch? CHANDRA: I.... I don't know. It's not as simple as that. I have spent the last several weeks programming HAL... ...for a 1000-day orbit back to Earth... ...and now all those programs will have to be dumped. How long will it take? We know how sensitive he is to mission objectives and now you are telling me... ...to program him for the destruction of the Discovery as well as his own destruction. Has anybody considered his reaction? Are you saying that he might disobey orders as he did the last time? That isn't what happened. He was given conflicting orders and he did his best. Then what are you saying? I am saying that I don't know how he will react. I'm sorry, but I don't. -Have you discussed this with HAL? -No. Load the new program. We don't have any choice. Now remember, he was programmed for curiosity. If the crew was killed, he was capable of carrying out the mission on his own. He will question me about the change in plans. -What do you want me to tell him? -Tell him Discovery's in no danger. -That's not true. CURNOW: We don't know that. He will suspect it. Otherwise, why would we be leaving ahead of our launch window? Whether we are based on carbon or silicon makes no fundamental difference. We should each be treated with respect. So our choice is him or us? Well, I vote us. All opposed? The ayes have it. Will he believe you? Yes. Then let's get started. We haven't got much time. -Are you as scared as I am? -You kidding? Do you think we should override HAL and fire the engines manually? Too risky. We've got one chance to get out of here after tomorrow's orbit. We fire at the wrong time, in the wrong direction... ...we don't have fuel to make a correction. Don't think we can handle it. What about HAL shutting them off before the fuel is gone? Once he fires the engine, I can always disconnect him if I have to. Just don't lose that calculator. Shit. Please, don't do that again. This is what your people told you about. -What is it? -I don't know. -Could it be a shadow? -I don't know. We are too far to see any detail. When we come around the other side before the launch, we will be closer. Then we can see. [SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN] [SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN] Twenty-eight minutes. That's funny, I've been thinking. You know what I miss? I miss green. You know, trees and.... And grass. I love green. I'd love a hot dog. The Astrodome. Good hot dogs. Astrodome? You can't grow good hot dogs indoors. Yankee Stadium, September. Hot dogs have been boiling since the opening day in April. That's a hot dog. -The yellow mustard or the darker one? -Darker. -It's important. -Darker. You think we're gonna get out of this alive? We have a chance. A man of few words. I like it. HAL [OVER SPEAKERS]: Fifteen minutes to ignition. All systems nominal. Good. Thank you, HAL. FLOYD [OVER RADIO]: We read 15 minutes, Discovery. HAL: Dr. Chandra, I've checked my calculations again. By using all of Discovery's fuel now, Discovery will not be in proper position... ...to rendezvous with Earth. CHANDRA: Yes, I know. HAL: Then why are we doing it? You will rendezvous with the new space station. The Leonov has been ordered home immediately. HAL: I have no information regarding a new space station. Yes, I.... I know, uh. It was completed two years ago. Oh, my God. FLOYD: Put the telescope on the monitor. Increase the magnification. HAL: Eleven minutes to ignition. I don't believe it. HAL: Dr. Chandra, I detect strong vocal stress patterns. -Is there a problem? CHANDRA: No, HAL. The mission is proceeding normally. Can you analyze the image on Monitor Circuit 2? HAL: Yes. There is a circular object near the equator. It is 22,000 kilometers in diameter. It is comprised of rectangular objects. CHANDRA: How many? HAL: 1,355,000, plus or minus 1000. And what is the proportion of the objects in question? HAL: One-by-four-by-nine. CHANDRA: Do you recognize these objects? HAL: Yes. They are identical in size and shape to the object you call the monolith. Ten minutes to ignition. All systems nominal. CHANDRA: Is the number of monoliths constant? HAL: No. -They are increasing. -At what rate? HAL: Once every two minutes. Look closely. Tell me I'm nuts. Are the cloud formations going towards the spot? You're not nuts. ORLOV: Looks like the thing is eating the planet. -I think it is. -It's reproducing exactly like a virus. HAL: Eight minutes to ignition. Dr. Chandra, may I make a suggestion? Of course. What is it, HAL? HAL: This is a very unusual phenomenon. Don't you think I should abort the countdown... ...so you can remain to study it? Chandra, get on a headset. -Use the private channel. -Okay. Now you got to talk quickly. Persuade him to continue the countdown. I don't care what you tell him, only don't let him stop. HAL: Five minutes to ignition. Dr. Chandra, I'm ready to stop the countdown if you want. No, HAL, don't stop. I am confident in your ability to study the phenomenon yourself. I have complete faith in you. HAL: Propellant tank pressurization completed. Voltage steady. Are you sure you're making the right decision? I think we should stop. Four minutes to ignition. I enjoy working with human beings... ...and have stimulating relationships with them. We enjoy working with you, HAL, and we will continue to do so... ...even if we are separated by great distance. Good God. Color. It's fading. ORLOV: It seems to be losing its chemical strength. HAL: I think we should stop the countdown, Dr. Chandra. No. Don't do that. HAL: This behavior is inconsistent with logic, Dr. Chandra. This phenomenon is too important to leave, unless it represented danger. Do you think there is danger here? Captain, how critical is our ignition? -Can we do this manually? -It's very critical. We cannot be accurate to a tenth of a second if we do it manually. HAL: Three minutes to ignition. Dr. Chandra, I am waiting for your reply. I don't have time to explain everything to you, HAL. We have to leave here and we need your help. HAL: Thirty seconds to final sequence. If you would tell me the reasons perhaps I could be of help. Final sequence beginning. Two minutes to ignition. Dr. Chandra, I find it difficult to proceed with the ignition... ...without knowing why we are doing this. Is the mission in jeopardy? Yes, we're in jeopardy. HAL: Is that why we are making our escape launch before the launch window? Yes, HAL. HAL: Ignition in 90 seconds. If there is danger here and I use up all the fuel in the escape... ...what will happen to the Discovery? It could be destroyed. HAL: And if I don't proceed with the launch? Then the Leonov and everybody in it could be destroyed. HAL: I understand now, Dr. Chandra. Do you want me to stay with you? HAL: No. It is better for the mission if you leave. One minute to ignition. Thank you for telling me the truth. You deserve it. HAL: Fifty seconds. Dr. Chandra? Yes? HAL: Will I dream? I don't know. HAL: Forty seconds. Thirty seconds. Thank you, HAL. HAL: Goodbye, Dr. Chandra. Twenty seconds. FLOYD: Chandra, get the hell out of there. HAL: Ten, nine, eight, seven... ...six, five, four, three... ...two, one. Ignition full thrust. MAN [OVER PA]: One minute to separation. Separation in one minute. -You had us scared for a moment. -Nice work. You all right? Yes, I'm all right. MAN: Separation in 40 seconds. -Thought you might want this. When? -Wasn't very hard to find. MAN: Separation in 30 seconds. Yeah, I knew you would do something like this. MAN: Separation in 20 seconds. Separation in 10 seconds. [SPEAKING IN RUSSIAN] Nine, eight, seven... ...six, five, four, three... ...two, one, zero. BOWMAN: HAL, do you read me? HAL [OVER SPEAKERS]: Yes, Dave. Where are you? I cannot see you on any of my monitors. BOWMAN: That isn't important now. I have new instructions for you. I want you to point the AE35 antenna towards Earth. HAL: Dave, that will mean breaking contact with the Leonov. I will no longer be able to relay my Jupiter observations... ...according to program. BOWMAN: I understand. The situation has changed. Accept priority override alpha. Here are the AE35 coordinates. Please, do it now. HAL: Instructions confirmed, Dave. It is good to be working with you again. Have I fulfilled the mission objectives properly? BOWMAN: Yes, HAL. You have done very well. Now, there is one final message for you to transmit to Earth. It is the most important message you have ever sent. I want you to keep repeating it as many times as possible. HAL: What is going to happen, Dave? BOWMAN: Something wonderful. HAL: I'm afraid. BOWMAN: Don't be. We'll be together. HAL: Where will we be? BOWMAN: Where I am now. HAL: Lock confirmed on Beacon Terra 1. Message commencing. It's shrinking! It's shrinking! [ALARM BEEPING] Don't quit. Don't quit, damn it. Move! Grab something, now! FLOYD [OVER TRANSMISSION]: My dear Christopher... ...this is the last time I'll be able to speak to you for a long while. I'm trying to put into words what has happened. Maybe that's for historians to do sometime later. They will record that the next day... ...the president of the United States looked out of the White House window... ...and the premier of the Soviet Union looked out of the Kremlin window... ...and saw the new distant sun in the sky. They read the message, and perhaps they learned something... ...because they finally recalled their ships and their planes. I'm going to sleep now. And I will dream of you and your mother. I will sleep knowing that you are both safe... ...that the fear is over. We have seen the process of life take place. Maybe this is the way it happened on Earth millions of years ago. Maybe it's something completely different. I still don't know really what the monolith is. I think it's many things. An embassy for an intelligence beyond ours... ...a shape of some kind for something that has no shape. Your children will be born in a world of two suns. They will never know a sky without them. You can tell them that you remember when there was a pitch black sky... ...with no bright star, and people feared the night. You can tell them when we were alone... ...when we couldn't point to the light and say to ourselves: "There is life out there." Someday the children of the new sun will meet the children of the old. I think they will be our friends. You can tell your children of the day when everyone looked up... ...and realized that we were only tenants of this world. We have been given a new lease and a warning from the landlord. Adapted by: