Title:2001:Aspaceodissey

Author:ArthurC.Clarke
Originalcopyrightyear:1968Epiloguecopyright1982
Genre:sciencefiction
Comments:tomyknowledge,thisistheonlyavailableetextofthisbook.
Source:scannedandOCRreadfromapaperbackeditionwithXeroxTextBridgePro
9.0,proofreadinMSWord2000.
Dateofetext:August20,1999
Preparedby:AnadaSucka
Anticopyright1999.Allrightsreversed.

2001:ASpaceOdissey
ArthurC.Clarke

Foreword

Behindeverymannowalivestandthirtyghosts,forthatistheratiobywhichthedead
outnumbertheliving.Sincethedawnoftime,roughlyahundredbillionhumanbeings
havewalkedtheplanetEarth.
Nowthisisaninterestingnumber,forbyacuriouscoincidencethereareapproximately
ahundredbillionstarsinourlocaluniverse,theMilkyWay.Soforeverymanwhohas
everlived,inthisUniversethereshinesastar.
Buteveryoneofthosestarsisasun,oftenfarmorebrilliantandgloriousthanthe
small,nearbystarwecalltheSun.Andmanyperhapsmostofthosealiensunshave
planetscirclingthem.Soalmostcertainlythereisenoughlandintheskytogiveevery
memberofthehumanspecies,backtothefirstapeman,hisownprivate,worldsized
heavenorhell.
Howmanyofthosepotentialheavensandhellsarenowinhabited,andbywhatmanner
ofcreatures,wehavenowayofguessingtheverynearestisamilliontimesfartheraway
thanMarsorVenus,thosestillremotegoalsofthenextgeneration.Butthebarriersof
distancearecrumblingonedayweshallmeetourequals,orourmasters,amongthe
stars.

Menhavebeenslowtofacethisprospectsomestillhopethatitmayneverbecome
reality.Increasingnumbers,however,areasking:"Whyhavesuchmeetingsnotoccurred
already,sinceweourselvesareabouttoventureintospace?"
Whynot,indeed?Hereisonepossibleanswertothatveryreasonablequestion.But
pleaserememberthisisonlyaworkoffiction.
Thetruth,asalways,willbefarstranger.

ToStanley

IPRIMEVALNIGHT

1TheRoadtoExtinction

Thedroughthadlastednowfortenmillionyears,andthereignoftheterriblelizards
hadlongsinceended.HereontheEquator,inthecontinentwhichwouldonedaybe
knownasAfrica,thebattleforexistencehadreachedanewclimaxofferocity,andthe
victorwasnotyetinsight.Inthisbarrenanddesiccatedland,onlythesmallortheswiftor
thefiercecouldflourish,orevenhopetosurvive.
Themanapesoftheveldtwerenoneofthesethings,andtheywerenotflourishing.
Indeed,theywerealreadyfardowntheroadtoracialextinction.Aboutfiftyofthem
occupiedagroupofcavesoverlookingasmall,parchedvalley,whichwasdividedbya
sluggishstreamfedfromsnowsinthemountainstwohundredmilestothenorth.Inbad
timesthestreamvanishedcompletely,andthetribelivedintheshadowofthirst.
Itwasalwayshungry,andnowitwasstarving.Whenthefirstfaintglowofdawncrept
intothecave,MoonWatchersawthathisfatherhaddiedinthenight.Hedidnotknow
thattheOldOnewashisfather,forsucharelationshipwasutterlybeyondhis
understanding,butashelookedattheemaciatedbodyhefeltdimdisquietthatwasthe
ancestorofsadness.
Thetwobabieswerealreadywhimperingforfood,butbecamesilentwhenMoon
Watchersnarledatthem.Oneofthemothers,defendingtheinfantshecouldnotproperly

feed,gavehimanangrygrowlinreturnhelackedtheenergyeventocuffherforher
presumption.
Nowitwaslightenoughtoleave.MoonWatcherpickeduptheshriveledcorpseand
draggeditafterhimashebentunderthelowoverhangofthecave.Onceoutside,he
threwthebodyoverhisshoulderandstooduprighttheonlyanimalinallthisworldable
todoso.
Amonghiskind,MoonWatcherwasalmostagiant.Hewasnearlyfivefeethigh,and
thoughbadlyundernourishedweighedoverahundredpounds.Hishairy,muscularbody
washalfwaybetweenapeandman,buthisheadwasalreadymuchnearertomanthan
ape.Theforeheadwaslow,andtherewereridgesovertheeyesockets,yethe
unmistakablyheldinhisgenesthepromiseofhumanity.Ashelookedoutuponthehostile
worldofthePleistocene,therewasalreadysomethinginhisgazebeyondthecapacityof
anyape.Inthosedark,deepseteyeswasadawningawarenessthefirstintimationsof
anintelligencethatcouldnotpossiblyfulfillitselfforagesyet,andmightsoonbe
extinguishedforever.
Therewasnosignofdanger,soMoonWatcherbegantoscrambledownthealmost
verticalslopeoutsidethecave,onlyslightlyhinderedbyhisburden.Asiftheyhadbeen
waitingforhissignal,therestofthetribeemergedfromtheirownhomesfartherdownthe
rockface,andbegantohastentowardthemuddywatersofthestreamfortheirmorning
drink.
MoonWatcherlookedacrossthevalleytoseeiftheOtherswereinsight,buttherewas
notraceofthem.Perhapstheyhadnotyetlefttheircaves,orwerealreadyforaging
fartheralongthehillside.Sincetheywerenowheretobeseen,MoonWatcherforgot
themhewasincapableofworryingaboutmorethanonethingatatime.
FirsthemustgetridoftheOldOne,butthiswasaproblemthatdemandedlittle
thought.Therehadbeenmanydeathsthisseason,oneoftheminhisowncavehehad
onlytoputthecorpsewherehehadleftthenewbabyatthelastquarterofthemoon,and
thehyenaswoulddotherest.
Theywerealreadywaiting,wherethelittlevalleyfannedoutintothesavanna,almost
asiftheyhadknownthathewascoming.MoonWatcherleftthebodyunderasmallbush
alltheearlierboneswerealreadygoneandhurriedbacktorejointhetribe.Henever
thoughtofhisfatheragain.
Histwomates,theadultsfromtheothercaves,andmostoftheyoungsterswere
foragingamongthedroughtstuntedtreesfartherupthevalley,lookingforberries,
succulentrootsandleaves,andoccasionalwindfallslikesmalllizardsorrodents.Onlythe
babiesandthefeeblestoftheoldfolkwereleftinthecavesiftherewasanysurplusfood
attheendoftheday'ssearching,theymightbefed.Ifnot,thehyenaswouldsoonbein
luckoncemore.

ButthisdaywasagoodonethoughasMoonWatcherhadnorealremembranceof
thepast,hecouldnotcompareonetimewithanother.Hehadfoundahiveofbeesinthe
stumpofadeadtree,andsohadenjoyedthefinestdelicacythathispeoplecouldever
knowhestilllickedhisfingersfromtimetotimeasheledthegrouphomewardinthelate
afternoon.Ofcourse,hehadalsocollectedafairnumberofstings,buthehadscarcely
noticedthem.Hewasnowasneartocontentmentashewaseverlikelytobeforthough
hewasstillhungry,hewasnotactuallyweakwithhunger.Thatwasthemosttowhichany
manapecouldeveraspire.
Hiscontentmentvanishedwhenhereachedthestream.TheOtherswerethere.They
werethereeveryday,butthatdidnotmakeitanythelessannoying.
Therewereaboutthirtyofthem,andtheycouldnothavebeendistinguishedfromthe
membersofMoonWatcher'sowntribe.Astheysawhimcomingtheybeguntodance,
shaketheirarms,andshriekontheirsideofthestream,andhisownpeoplerepliedin
kind.
Andthatwasallthathappened.Thoughthemanapesoftenfoughtandwrestledone
another,theirdisputesveryseldomresultedinseriousinjuries.Havingnoclawsorfighting
canineteeth,andbeingwellprotectedbyhair,theycouldnotinflictmuchharmonone
another.Inanyevent,theyhadlittlesurplusenergyforsuchunproductivebehavior
snarlingandthreateningwasamuchmoreefficientwayofassertingtheirpointsofview.
Theconfrontationlastedaboutfiveminutesthenthedisplaydiedoutasquicklyasit
hadbegun,andeveryonedrankhisfillofthemuddywater.Honorhadbeensatisfied
eachgrouphadstakeditsclaimtoitsownterritory.Thisimportantbusinesshavingbeen
settled,thetribemovedoffalongitssideoftheriver.Thenearestworthwhilegrazingwas
nowmorethanamilefromthecaves,andtheyhadtoshareitwithaherdoflarge,
antelopelikebeastswhobarelytoleratedtheirpresence.Theycouldnotbedrivenaway,
fortheywerearmedwithferociousdaggersontheirforeheadsthenaturalweapons
whichthemanapesdidnotpossess.
SoMoonWatcherandhiscompanionschewedberriesandfruitandleavesandfought
offthepangsofhungerwhileallaroundthem,competingforthesamefodder,wasa
potentialsourceofmorefoodthantheycouldeverhopetoeat.Yetthethousandsoftons
ofsucculentmeatroamingoverthesavannaandthroughthebushwasnotonlybeyond
theirreachitwasbeyondtheirimagination.Inthemidstofplenty,theywereslowly
starvingtodeath.
Thetribereturnedtoitscavewithoutincident,inthelastlightoftheday.Theinjured
femalewhohadremainedbehindcooedwithpleasureasMoonWatchergaveherthe
berrycoveredbranchhehadbroughtback,andbegantoattackitravenously.Therewas
littleenoughnourishmenthere,butitwouldhelphertosurviveuntilthewoundtheleopard
hadgivenherhadhealed,andshecouldforageforherselfagain.

Overthevalley,afullmoonwasrising,andachillwindwasblowingdownfromthe
distantmountains.Itwouldbeverycoldtonightbutcold,likehunger,wasnotamatter
foranyrealconcernitwasmerelypartofthebackgroundoflife.
MoonWatcherbarelystirredwhentheshrieksandscreamsechoeduptheslopefrom
oneofthelowercaves,andhedidnotneedtoheartheoccasionalgrowloftheleopardto
knowexactlywhatwashappening.
DownthereinthedarknessoldWhiteHairandhisfamilywerefightinganddying,and
thethoughtthathemighthelpinsomewaynevercrossedMoonWatcher'smind.The
harshlogicofsurvivalruledoutsuchfancies,andnotavoicewasraisedinprotestfrom
thelisteninghillside.Everycavewassilent,lestitalsoattractdisaster.
Thetumultdiedaway,andpresentlyMoonWatchercouldhearthesoundofabody
beingdraggedoverrocks.Thatlastedonlyafewsecondsthentheleopardgotagood
holdonitskill.Itmadenofurthernoiseasitpaddedsilentlyaway,carryingitsvictim
effortlesslyinitsjaws.
Foradayortwo,therewouldbenofurtherdangerhere,buttheremightbeother
enemiesabroad,takingadvantageofthiscoldLittleSunthatshoneonlybynight.Ifthere
wassufficientwarning,thesmallerpredatorscouldsometimesbescaredawaybyshouts
andscreams.MoonWatchercrawledoutofthecave,clamberedontoalargeboulder
besidetheentrance,andsquattedtheretosurveythevalley.
OfallthecreatureswhohadyetwalkedonEarth,themanapeswerethefirsttolook
steadfastlyattheMoon.Andthoughhecouldnotrememberit,whenhewasveryyoung
MoonWatcherwouldsometimesreachoutandtrytotouchthatghostlyfacerisingabove
thehills.
Hehadneversucceeded,andnowhewasoldenoughtounderstandwhy.Forfirst,of
course,hemustfindahighenoughtreetoclimb.
Sometimeshewatchedthevalley,andsometimeshewatchedtheMoon,butalwayshe
listened.Onceortwicehedozedoff,buthesleptwithahairtriggeralertness,andthe
slightestsoundwouldhavedisturbedhim.Atthegreatageoftwentyfive,hewasstillin
fullpossessionofallhisfacultiesifhisluckcontinued,andheavoidedaccidents,disease,
predators,andstarvation,hemightsurviveforasmuchasanothertenyears.
Thenightworeon,coldandclear,withoutfurtheralarms,andtheMoonroseslowly
amidequatorialconstellationsthatnohumaneyewouldeversee.Inthecaves,between
spellsoffitfuldozingandfearfulwaiting,werebeingbornthenightmaresofgenerations
yettobe.
Andtwicetherepassedslowlyacrossthesky,risinguptothezenithanddescending
intotheeast,adazzlingpointoflightmorebrilliantthananystar.

2TheNewRock

Latethatnight,MoonWatchersuddenlyawoke.Tiredoutbytheday'sexertionsand
disasters,hehadbeensleepingmoresoundlythanusual,yethewasinstantlyalertatthe
firstfaintscrabblingdowninthevalley.
Hesatupinthefetiddarknessofthecave,straininghissensesoutintothenight,and
fearcreptslowlyintohissoul.Neverinhislife alreadytwiceaslongasmostmembersof
hisspeciescouldexpecthadheheardasoundlikethis.Thegreatcatsapproachedin
silence,andtheonlythingthatbetrayedthemwasarareslideofearth,ortheoccasional
crackingofatwig.Yetthiswasacontinuouscrunchingnoise,thatgrewsteadilylouder.It
seemedthatsomeenormousbeastwasmovingthroughthenight,makingnoattemptat
concealment,andignoringallobstacles.OnceMoonWatcherheardtheunmistakable
soundofabush,beinguprootedtheelephantsanddinotheriadidthisoftenenough,but
otherwisetheymovedassilentlyasthecats.
AndthentherecameasoundwhichMoonWatchercouldnotpossiblyhaveidentified,
forithadneverbeenheardbeforeinthehistoryoftheworld.Itwastheclankofmetal
uponstone.MoonWatchercamefacetofacewiththeNewRockwhenheledthetribe
downtotheriverinthefirstlightofmorning.Hehadalmostforgottentheterrorsofthe
night,becausenothinghadhappenedafterthatinitialnoise,sohedidnotevenassociate
thisstrangethingwithdangerorwithfear.Therewas,afterall,nothingintheleast
alarmingaboutit.
Itwasarectangularslab,threetimeshisheightbutnarrowenoughtospanwithhis
arms,anditwasmadeofsomecompletelytransparentmaterialindeed,itwasnoteasyto
seeexceptwhentherisingsunglintedonitsedges.AsMoonWatcherhadnever
encounteredice,orevencrystalclearwater,therewerenonaturalobjectstowhichhe
couldcomparethisapparition.Itwascertainlyratherattractive,andthoughhewaswisely
cautiousofmostnewthings,hedidnothesitateforlongbeforesidlinguptoit.Asnothing
happened,heputouthishand,andfeltacold,hardsurface.
Afterseveralminutesofintensethought,hearrivedatabrilliantexplanation.Itwasa
rock,ofcourse,anditmusthavegrownduringthenight.Thereweremanyplantsthatdid
thiswhite,pulpythingsshapedlikepebbles,thatseemedtoshootupduringthehoursof
darkness.Itwastruethattheyweresmallandround,whereasthiswaslargeandsharp
edgedbutgreaterandlaterphilosophersthanMoonWatcherwouldbepreparedto
overlookequallystrikingexceptionstotheirtheories.
ThisreallysuperbpieceofabstractthinkingledMoonWatcher,afteronlythreeorfour
minutes,toadeductionwhichheimmediatelyputtothetest.Thewhiteroundpebble
plantswereverytasty(thoughtherewereafewthatproducedviolentillness)perhapsthis
tallone...?

Afewlicksandattemptednibblesquicklydisillusionedhim.Therewasnonourishment
heresolikeasensiblemanape,hecontinuedonhiswaytotheriverandforgotallabout
thecrystallinemonolith,duringthedailyroutineofshriekingattheOthers.
Theforagingtodaywasverybad,andthetribehadtotravelseveralmilesfromthe
cavestofindanyfoodatall.Duringthemercilessheatofnoononeofthefrailerfemales
collapsed,farfromanypossibleshelter.Hercompanionsgatheredroundher,twittering
andmeepingsympathetically,buttherewasnothingthatanyonecoulddo.Iftheyhad
beenlessexhaustedtheymighthavecarriedherwiththem,buttherewasnosurplus
energyforsuchactsofkindness.Shehadtobeleftbehind,torecoverornotwithherown
resources.Theypassedthespotonthehomewardtrekthateveningtherewasnota
bonetobeseen.
Inthelastlightofday,lookingroundanxiouslyforearlyhunters,theydrankhastilyat
thestreamandstartedtheclimbuptotheircaves.Theywerestillahundredyardsfrom
theNewRockwhenthesoundbegan.
Itwasbarelyaudible,yetitstoppedthem dead,sothattheystoodparalyzedonthe
trailwiththeirjawshangingslackly.Asimple,maddeninglyrepetitiousvibration,itpulsed
outfromthecrystalandhypnotizedallwhocamewithinitsspell.Forthefirsttimeand
thelast,forthreemillionyearsthesoundofdrummingwasheardinAfrica.
Thethrobbinggrewlouder,moreinsistent.Presentlythemanapesbegantomove
forward,likesleepwalkers,towardthesourceofthatcompulsivesound.Sometimesthey
tooklittledancingsteps,astheirbloodrespondedtorhythmsthattheirdescendantswould
notcreateforagesyet.Totallyentranced,theygatheredroundthemonolith,forgettingthe
hardshipsoftheday,theperilsoftheapproachingdusk,andthehungerintheirbellies.
Thedrummingbecamelouder,thenightdarker.Andastheshadowslengthened
andthelightdrainedfromthesky,thecrystalbegantoglow.
Firstitlostitstransparency,andbecamesuffusedwithapale,milky
luminescence,Tantalizing,illdefinedphantomsmovedacrossitssurfaceandin
itsdepths.Theycoalescedintobarsoflightandshadow,thenformed
intermeshing,spokedpatternsthatbeganslowlytorotate.
Fasterandfasterspunthewheelsoflight,andthethrobbingofthedrums
acceleratedwiththem.Nowutterlyhypnotized,themanapescouldonlystare
slackjawedintothisastonishingdisplayofpyrotechnics.Theyhadalready
forgottentheinstinctsoftheirforefathersandthelessonsofalifetimenot
oneofthem,ordinarily,wouldhavebeensofarfromhiscave,solateinthe
evening.Forthesurroundingbrushwasfulloffrozenshapesandstaringeyes,
asthecreaturesofthenightsuspendedtheirbusinesstoseewhatwouldhappen
next.

Nowthespinningwheelsoflightbegantomerge,andthespokesfusedinto
luminousbarsthatslowlyrecededintothedistance,rotatingontheiraxesas
theydidso.Theysplitintopairsandtheresultingsetsoflinesstartedto
oscillateacrossoneanother,slowlychangingtheiranglesofintersection.
Fantastic,fleetinggeometricalpatternsflickeredinandoutofexistenceas
theglowinggridsmeshedandunmeshedandthemanapeswatched,mesmerized
captivesoftheshiningcrystal.
Theycouldneverguessthattheirmindswerebeingprobed,theirbodies
mapped,theirreactionsstudied,theirpotentialsevaluated.Atfirst,thewhole
triberemainedhalfcrouchinginamotionlesstableau,asiffrozenintostone.
Thenthemanapenearesttotheslabsuddenlycametolife.
Hedidnotmovefromhisposition,buthisbodylostitstrancelikerigidity
andbecameanimatedasifitwereapuppetcontrolledbyinvisiblestrings.The
headturnedthiswayandthatthemouthsilentlyopenedandclosedthehands
clenchedandunclenched.Thenhebentdown,snappedoffalongstalkofgrass,
andattemptedtotieitintoaknotwithclumsyfingers.
Heseemedtobeathingpossessed,strugglingagainstsomespiritordemon
whohadtakenovercontrolofhisbody.Hewaspantingforbreath,andhiseyes
werefullofterrorashetriedtoforcehisfingerstomakemovementsmore
complexthananythattheyhadeverattemptedbefore.
Despiteallhisefforts,hesucceededonlyinbreakingthestalkinto
pieces.Asthefragmentsfelltotheground,thecontrollinginfluencelefthim,
andhefrozeoncemoreintoimmobility.
Anothermanapecametolife,andwentthroughthesameroutine.Thiswasa
younger,moreadaptablespecimenitsucceededwheretheolderonehadfailed.
OntheplanetEarth,thefirstcrudeknothadbeentied.
Othersdidstrangerandstillmorepointlessthings.Someheldtheirhands
outatarm'slength,andtriedtotouchtheirfingertipstogetherfirstwith
botheyesopen,thenwithoneclosed.Someweremadetostareatruledpatterns
inthecrystal,whichbecamemoreandmorefinelydivideduntilthelineshad
mergedintoagrayblur.Andallheardsinglepuresounds,ofvaryingpitch,
thatswiftlysankbelowthelevelofhearing.
WhenMoonWatcher'sturncame,hefeltverylittlefear.Hismainsensation
wasadullresentment,ashismusclestwitchedandhislimbsmovedatcommands
thatwerenotwhollyhisown.Withoutknowingwhy,hebentdownandpickedupa
smallstone. Whenhestraightenedup,hesawthattherewasanewimageinthe
crystalslab.
Thegridsandthemoving,dancingpatternshadgone.Instead,therewasa

seriesofconcentriccircles,surroundingasmallblackdisk.Obeyingthesilent
ordersinhisbrain,hepitchedthestonewithaclumsy,overarmthrow.It
missedthetargetbyseveralfeet.
Tryagain,saidthecommand.Hesearchedarounduntilhehadfoundanother
pebble.Thistimeithittheslabwitharinging,bellliketone.Hewasstilla
longwayoff,buthisaimwasimproving.Atthefourthattempt,hewasonly
inchesfromthecentralbull'seye.Afeelingofindescribablepleasure,almost
sexualinitsintensity,floodedhismind.Thenthecontrolrelaxedhefeltno
impulsetodoanything,excepttostandandwait.
Onebyone,everymemberofthetribewasbrieflypossessed.Somesucceeded,
butmostfailedatthetaskstheyhadbeenset,andallwereappropriately
rewardedbyspasmsofpleasureorofpain.
Nowtherewasonlyauniformfeaturelessglowinthegreatslab,sothatit
stoodlikeablockoflightsuperimposedoilthesurroundingdarkness.Asif
wakingfromasleep,themanapesshooktheirheads,andpresentlybegantomove
alongthetrailtotheirplaceofshelter.Theydidnotlookback,orwonderat
thestrangelightthatwasguidingthemtotheirhomesandtoafuture
unknown,asyet,eventothestars.

3Academy

MoonWatcherandhiscompanionshadnorecollectionofwhattheyhadseen,
afterthecrystalhadceasedtocastitshypnoticspellovertheirmindsandto
experimentwiththeirbodies.Thenextday,astheywentouttoforage,they
passeditwithscarcelyasecondthoughtitwasnowpartofthedisregarded
backgroundoftheirlives.Theycouldnoteatit,anditcouldnoteatthem
thereforeitwasnotimportant.
Downattheriver,theOthersmadetheirusualineffectualthreats.Their
leader,aoneearedmanapeofMoonWatcher'ssizeandage,butinpoorer
condition,evenmadeabriefforaytowardthetribe'sterritory,screaming
loudlyandwavinghisarmsinanattempttoscaretheoppositionandtobolster
hisowncourage.
Thewaterofthestreamwasnowheremorethanafootdeep,butthefarther
OneEarmovedoutintoit,themoreuncertainandunhappyhebecame.Verysoon
heslowedtoahalt,andthenmovedback,withexaggerateddignity,tojoinhis
companions.

Otherwise,therewasnochangeinthenormalroutine.Thetribegathered
justenoughnourishmenttosurviveforanotherday,andnoonedied.
Andthatnight,thecrystalslabwasstillwaitingsurroundedbyits
pulsingauraoflightandsound.Theprogramithadcontrived,however,wasnow
subtlydifferent.
Some,ofthemanapesitignoredcompletely,asifitwasconcentratingon
themostpromisingsubjects.
OneofthemwasMoonWatcheronceagainhefeltinquisitivetendrils
creepingdowntheunusedbywaysofhisbrain.Andpresently,hebegantosee
visions.Theymighthavebeenwithinthecrystalblocktheymighthavebeen
whollyinsidehismind.Inanyevent,toMoonWatchertheywerecompletelyreal.
Yetsomehowtheusualautomaticimpulsetodriveoffinvadersofhisterritory
hadbeenlulledintoquiescence.
Hewaslookingatapeacefulfamilygroup,differinginonlyonerespect
fromthescenesheknew.Themale,female,andtwoinfantsthathadmysteriously
appearedbeforehimweregorgedandreplete,withsleekandglossypeltsand
thiswasaconditionoflifethatMoonWatcherhadneverimagined.
Unconsciously,hefelthisownprotrudingribstheribsofthesecreatureswere
hiddeninrollsoffat.Fromtimetotimetheystirredlazily,astheylolledat
easeneartheentranceofacave,apparentlyatpeacewiththeworld.
Occasionallythebigmaleemittedamonumentalburpofcontentment.
Therewasnootheractivity,andafterfiveminutesthescenesuddenlyfaded
out.ThecrystalwasnomorethanaglimmeringoutlineinthedarknessMoon
Watchershookhimselfasifawakingfromadream,abruptlyrealizedwherehe
was,andledthetribebacktothecaves.
Hehadnoconsciousmemoryofwhathehadseenbutthatnight,ashesat
broodingattheentranceofhislair,hisearsattunedtothenoisesofthe
worldaroundhim,MoonWatcherfeltthefirstfainttwingesofanewandpotent
emotion.Itwasavagueanddiffusesenseofenvyofdissatisfactionwithhis
life.Hehadnoideaofitscause,stilllessofitscurebutdiscontenthad
comeintohissoul,andhehadtakenonesmallsteptowardhumanity.
Nightafternight,thespectacleofthosefourplumpmanapeswasrepeated,
untilithadbecomeasourceoffascinatedexasperation,servingtoincrease
MoonWatcher'seternal,gnawinghunger.Theevidenceofhiseyescouldnothave
producedthiseffectitneededpsychologicalreinforcement.Thereweregapsin
MoonWatcher'slifenowthathewouldneverremember,whentheveryatomsofhis
simplebrainwerebeingtwistedintonewpatterns.Ifhesurvived,those
patternswouldbecomeeternal,forhisgeneswouldpassthemontofuture
generations.

Itwasaslow,tediousbusiness,butthecrystalmonolithwaspatient.
Neitherit,noritsreplicasscatteredacrosshalftheglobe,expectedto
succeedwithallthescoresofgroupsinvolvedintheexperiment.Ahundred
failureswouldnotmatter,whenasinglesuccesscouldchangethedestinyofthe
world.
Bythetimeofthenextnewmoon,thetribehadseenonebirthandtwo
deaths.Oneofthesehadbeenduetostarvationtheotherhadoccurredduring
thenightlyritual,whenamanapehadsuddenlycollapsedwhileattemptingto
taptwopiecesofstonedelicatelytogether.Atonce,thecrystalhaddarkened,
andthetribehadbeenreleasedfromthespell.Butthefallenmanapehadnot
movedandbythemorning,ofcourse,thebodywasgone.
Therehadbeennoperformancethenextnightthecrystalwasstill
analyzingitsmistake.Thetribestreamedpastitthroughthegatheringdusk,
ignoringitspresencecompletely.Thenightafter,itwasreadyforthemagain.
Thefourplumpmanapeswerestillthere,andnowtheyweredoingextraordinary
things.MoonWatcherbegantotrembleuncontrollablyhefeltasifhisbrain
wouldburst,andwantedtoturnawayhiseyes.Butthatremorselessmental
controlwouldnotrelaxitsgriphewascompelledtofollowthelessontothe
end,thoughallhisinstinctsrevoltedagainstit.
Thoseinstinctshadservedhisancestorswell,inthedaysofwarmrainsand
lushfertility,whenfoodwastobehadeverywherefortheplucking.Nowtimes
hadchanged,andtheinheritedwisdomofthepasthadbecomefolly.Themanapes
mustadapt,ortheymustdielikethegreaterbeastswhohadgonebeforethem,
andwhosebonesnowlaysealedwithinthelimestonehills.
SoMoonWatcherstaredatthecrystalmonolithwithunblinkingeyes,while
hisbrainlayopentoitsstilluncertainmanipulations.Oftenhefeltnausea,
butalwayshefelthungerandfromtimetotimehishandsclenched
unconsciouslyinthepatternsthatwoulddeterminehisnewwayoflife.

Asthelineofwarthogsmovedsnufflingandgruntingacrossthetrail,Moon
Watchercametoasuddenhalt.Pigsandmanapeshadalwaysignoredeachother,
fortherewasnoconflictofinterestbetweenthem.Likemostanimalsthatdid
notcompeteforthesamefood,theymerelykeptoutofeachother'sway.
YetnowMoonWatcherstoodlookingatthem,waveringbackandforth
uncertainlyashewasbuffetedbyimpulseswhichhecouldnotunderstand,Then,
asifinadream,hestartedsearchingthegroundthoughforwhat,hecould
nothaveexplainedevenifhehadhadthepowerofspeech.Hewouldrecognizeit
whenhesawit.

Itwasaheavy,pointedstoneaboutsixincheslong,andthoughitdidnot
fithishandperfectly,itwoulddo.Asheswunghishandaround,puzzledbyits
suddenlyincreasedweight,hefeltapleasingsenseofpowerandauthority.He
startedtomovetowardthenearestpig.
Itwasayoungandfoolishanimal,evenbytheundemandingstandardsof
warthogintelligence.Thoughitobservedhimoutofthecornerofitseye,it
didnottakehimseriouslyuntilmuchtoolate.Whyshoulditsuspectthese
harmlesscreaturesofanyevilintent?Itwentonrootingupthegrassuntil
MoonWatcher'sstonehammerobliterateditsdimconsciousness.Theremainderof
theherdcontinuedgrazingunalarmed,forthemurderhadbeenswiftandsilent.
Alltheothermanapesinthegrouphadstoppedtowatch,andnowthey
crowdedroundMoonWatcherandhisvictimwithadmiringwonder.Presentlyoneof
thempickedupthebloodstainedweapon,andbegantopoundthedeadpig.Others
joinedinwithanysticksandstonesthattheycouldgather,untiltheirttarget
beganamessydisintegration.
Thentheybecameboredsomewanderedoff,whileothersstoodhesitantly
aroundtheunrecognizablecorpsethefutureofaworldwaitingupontheir
decision.Itwasasurprisinglylongtimebeforeoneofthenursingfemales
begantolickthegorystoneshewasholdinginherpaws.
AnditwaslongerstillbeforeMoonWatcher,despiteallthathehadbeen
shown,reallyunderstoodthatheneedneverbehungryagain.

4TheLeopard

Thetoolstheyhadbeenprogrammedtouseweresimpleenough,yetthey
couldchangethisworldandmakethemanapesitsmasters.Themostprimitive
wasthehandheldstone,thatmultipliedmanyfoldthepowerofablow.Then
therewastheboneclub,thatlengthenedthereachandcouldprovideabuffer
againstthefangsorclawsofangryanimals.Withtheseweapons,thelimitless
foodthatroamedthesavannaswastheirstotake.
Buttheyneededotheraids,fortheirteethandnailscouldnotreadily
dismemberanythinglargerthanarabbit,Luckily,Naturehadprovidedthe
perfecttools,requiringonlythewittopickthemupFirsttherewasacrude
butveryefficientknifeorsaw,ofamodelthatwouldservewellforthenext
threemillionyears.Itwassimplythelowerjawboneofanantelope,withthe
teethstillinplacetherewouldbenosubstantialimprovementuntilthecoming

ofsteel.Thentherewasanawlordaggerintheformofagazellehorn,and
finallyascrapingtoolmadefromthecompletejawofalmostanysmallanimal.
Thestoneclub,thetoothedsaw,thehorndagger,thebonescraperthese
werethemarvelousinventionswhichthemanapesneededinordertosurvive.
Soontheywouldrecognizethemforthesymbolsofpowerthattheywere,butmany
monthsmustpassbeforetheirclumsyfingershadacquiredtheskillorthe
willtousethem.
Perhaps,giventime,theymightbytheirowneffortshavecometothe
awesomeandbrilliantconceptofusingnaturalweaponsasartificialtools.But
theoddswereallagainstthem,andevennowtherewereendlessopportunities
forfailureintheagesthatlayahead.
Themanapeshadbeengiventheirfirstchance.Therewouldbenosecond
onethefuturewas,veryliterally,intheirownhands.

Moonswaxedandwanedbabieswerebornandsometimeslivedfeeble,
toothlessthirtyyearoldsdiedtheleopardtookitstollinthenightthe
Othersthreateneddailyacrosstheriverandthetribeprospered.Inthe
courseofasingleyear,MoonWatcherandhiscompanionshadchangedalmost
beyondrecognition.
Theyhadlearnedtheirlessonswellnowtheycouldhandleallthetools
thathadbeenrevealedtothem.Theverymemoryofhungerwasfadingfromtheir
mindsandthoughthewarthogswerebecomingshy,thereweregazellesand
antelopesandzebrasincountlessthousandsontheplains.Alltheseanimals,
andothers,hadfallenpreytotheapprenticehunters.
Nowthattheywerenolongerhalfnumbedwithstarvation,theyhadtimeboth
forleisureandforthefirstrudimentsofthought.Theirnewwayoflifewas
nowcasuallyaccepted,andtheydidnotassociateitinanywaywiththe
monolithstillstandingbesidethetrailtotheriver.Iftheyhadeverstopped
toconsiderthematter,theymighthaveboastedthattheyhadbroughtabout
theirimprovedstatusbytheirowneffortsinfact,theyhadalreadyforgotten
anyothermodeofexistence.
ButnoUtopiaisperfect,andthisonehadtwoblemishes.Thefirstwasthe
maraudingleopard,whosepassionformanapesseemedtohavegrownevenstronger
nowthattheywerebetternourished.Thesecondwasthetribeacrosstheriver
forsomehowtheOthershadsurvived,andhadstubbornlyrefusedtodieof
starvation.
Theleopardproblemwasresolvedpartlybychance,partlyowingtoaserious

indeedalmostfatalerroronMoonWatcher'spart.Yetatthetimehisidea
hadseemedsuchabrilliantonethathehaddancedwithjoy,andperhapshe
couldhardlybeblamedforoverlookingtheconsequences.
Thetribestillexperiencedoccasionalbaddays,thoughthesenolonger
threateneditsverysurvival.Towarddusk,ithadfailedtomakeakillthe
homecaveswerealreadyinsightasMoonWatcherledhistiredanddisgruntled
companionsbacktoshelter.Andthere,ontheirverythreshold,theyfoundone
ofnature'srarebonanzas.Afullgrownantelopewaslyingbythetrail.Its
forelegwasbroken,butitstillhadplentyoffightinit,andthecircling
jackalsgaveitsdaggerlikehornsarespectfulberth.Theycouldaffordtowait
theyknewthattheyhadonlytobidetheirtime.Buttheyhadforgottenabout
thecompetition,andretreatedwithangrysnarlswhenthemanapesarrived.
Theytoocircledwarily,keepingbeyondtherangeofthosedangeroushorns
thentheymovedtotheattackwithclubsandstones.
Itwasnotaveryeffectiveorcoordinatedattackbythetimethewretched
beasthadbeengivenitsquietusthelighthadalmostgoneandthejackals
wereregainingtheircourage.MoonWatcher,tornbetweenfearandhunger,slowly
realizedthatallthiseffortmighthavebeeninvain.Itwastoodangerousto
stayhereanylonger.
Then,notforthefirstorthelasttime,heprovedhimselfagenius.With
animmenseeffortofimagination,hevisualizedthedeadantelopeinthe
safetyofhisowncave.Hebegantodragittowardtheclifffacepresently,
theothersunderstoodhisintentions,andbegantohelphim.
Ifhehadknownhowdifficultthetaskwouldbe,hewouldneverhave
attemptedit.Onlyhisgreatstrength,andtheagilityinheritedfromhis
arborealancestorsallowedhimtohaulthecarcassupthesteepslope.Several
times,weepingwithfrustration,healmostabandonedhisprize,buta
stubbornnessasdeepseatedashishungerdrovehimon.Sometimestheothers
helpedhim,sometimestheyhinderedmoreoften,theymerelygotintheway.But
finallyitwasdonethebatteredantelopewasdraggedoverthelipofthecave,
asthelasthuesofsunlightfadedfromtheskyandthefeastingbegan.
Hourslater,gorgedtorepletion,MoonWatcherawoke.Notknowingwhy,he
satupinthedarknessamongthesprawledbodiesofhisequallysatiated
companions,andstrainedhisearsintothenight.
Therewasnosoundexcepttheheavybreathingaroundhimthewholeworld
seemedasleep.Therocksbeyondthemouthofthecavewerepaleasboneinthe
brilliantlightfromthemoon,nowhighoverhead.Anythoughtofdangerseemed
infinitelyremote.

Then,fromalongwayoff,camethesoundofafallingpebble.Fearful,yet
inquisitive,MoonWatchercrawledoutontotheledgeofthecaveandpeereddown
thefaceofthecliff.
Whathesawlefthimsoparalyzedwithfrightthatforlongsecondshewas
unabletomove.Onlytwentyfeetbelow,twogleaminggoldeneyeswerestaring
straightupathimtheyheldhimsohypnotizedwithfearthathewasscarcely
awareofthelithe,streakedbodybehindthem,flowingsmoothlyandsilently
fromrocktorock.Neverbeforehadtheleopardclimbedsohigh.Ithadignored
thelowercaves,thoughitmusthavebeenwellawareoftheirinhabitants.Now
itwasafterothergameitwasfollowingthespoorofblood,upthemoonwashed
faceofthecliff.
Secondslater,thenightwasmadehideousbytheshrieksofalarmfromthe
manapesinthecaveabove.Theleopardgaveasnarloffuryasitrealizedthat
ithadlosttheelementofsurprise.Butitdidnotcheckitsadvance,forit
knewthatithadnothingtofear.
Itreachedtheledge,andrestedforamomentonthenarrowopenspace.The
scentofbloodwasallaround,fillingitsfierceandtinymindwithone
overwhelmingdesire.Withouthesitation,itpaddedsilentlyintothecave.
Andhereitmadeitsfirsterror,forasitmovedoutofthemoonlighteven
itssuperblynightadaptedeyeswereatamomentarydisadvantage.Themanapes
couldseeit,partlysilhouettedagainsttheopeningofthecave,moreclearly
thanitcouldseethem.Theywereterrified,buttheywerenolongerutterly
helpless.
Snarlingandlashingitstailinarrogantconfidence,theleopardadvanced
insearchofthetenderfoodthatitcraved.Haditmetitspreyintheopen,it
wouldhavehadnoproblemsbutnowthatthemanapesweretrapped,desperation
hadgiventhemthecouragetoattempttheimpossible.Andforthefirsttime
theyhadthemeanstoachieveit.
Theleopardknewthatsomethingwaswrongwhenitfeltastunningblowon
itshead.Itlashedoutwithitsforepaw,andheardashriekofagonyasits
clawsslashedthroughsoftflesh.Thentherewasapiercingpainassomething
sharpdroveintoitsflanksonce,twice,andyetathirdtime.Itwhirled
aroundtostrikeattheshadowsscreaminganddancingonallsides.
Againtherewasaviolentblowassomethingcaughtitacrossthesnout.Its
teethsnappedonawhite,movingbluronlytograteuselessslyupondeadbone.
Andnowinafinal,unbelievableindignityitstailwasbeingdraggedoutby
theroots.
Itwhirledaround,throwingitsinsanelydaringtormentoragainstthewall

ofthecave.Yetwhateveritdid,itcouldnotescapetherainofblows,
inflictedonitbycrudeweaponswieldedbyclumsybutpowerfulhands.Its
snarlsranthegamutfrompaintoalarm,fromalarmtooutrightterror.The
implacablehunterwasnowthevictim,andwasdesperatelytryingtoretreat.
Andthenitmadeitssecondmistake,forinitssurpriseandfrightithad
forgottenwhereitwas.Orperhapsithadbeendazedorblindedbytheblows
rainedonitsheadwhateverthecase,itboltedabruptlyfromthecave.There
wasahorriblescreechasitwenttopplingoutintospace.Ageslater,it
seemed,therecameathudasitcrashedintoanoutcroppinghalfwaydownthe
cliffthereafter,theonlysoundwastheslidingofloosestones,whichquickly
diedawayintothenight.
Foralongtime,intoxicatedbyvictory,MoonWatcherstooddancingand
gibberingattheentranceofthecave.Herightlysensedthathiswholeworld
hadchangedandthathewasnolongerapowerlessvictimoftheforcesaround
him.
Thenhewentbackintothecaveand,forthefirsttimeinhislife,hadan
unbrokennight'ssleep.

Inthemorning,theyIfoundthebodyoftheleopardatthefootofthe
cliff.Evenindeath,itwassometimebeforeanyonedaredtoapproachthe
vanquishedmonster,butpresentlytheyclosedinuponit,withtheirboneknives
andsaws.
Itwasveryhardwork,andtheydidnohuntingthatday.

5EncounterintheDawn

Asheledthetribedowntotheriverinthedimlightofdawn,Moon
Watcherpauseduncertainlyatafamiliarspot.Something,heknew,wasmissing
butwhatitwas,hecouldnotremember.Hewastednomentaleffortonthe
problem,forthismorninghehadmoreimportantmattersonhismind.
Likethunderandlightningandcloudsandeclipses,thegreatblockof
crystalhaddepartedasmysteriouslyasithadcome.Havingvanishedintothe
nonexistentpast,itnevertroubledMoonWatcher'sthoughtsagain.
Hewouldneverknowwhatithaddonetohimandnoneofhiscompanions

wondered,astheygatheredroundhiminthemorningmist,whyhehadpausedfor
amomenthereonthewaytotheriver.

Fromtheirsideofthestream,intheneverviolatedsafetyoftheirown
territory,theOthersfirstsawMoonWatcherandadozenmalesofhistribeasa
movingfriezeagainstthedawnsky.Atoncetheybegantoscreamtheirdaily
challengebutthistime,therewasnoanswer.
Steadily,purposefullyaboveall,silentlyMoonWatcherandhisband
descendedthelowhillockthatoverlookedtheriverandastheyapproached,the
Othersbecamesuddenlyquiet.Theirritualrageebbedaway,tobereplacedbya
mountingfear.Theyweredimlyawarethatsomethinghadhappened,andthatthis
encounterwasunlikeallthosethathadevergonebefore.
TheboneclubsandknivesthatMoonWatcher'sgroupcarrieddidnotalarm
them,fortheydidnotunderstandtheirpurpose.Theyonlyknewthattheir
rivals'movementswerenowimbuedwithdetermination,andwithmenace.
Thepartystoppedatthewater'sedge,andforamomenttheOthers'courage
revived.LedbyOneEar,theyhalfheartedlyresumedtheirbattlechant.It
lastedonlyafewsecondsbeforeavisionofterrorstruckthendumb.
MoonWatcherraisedhisarmshighintotheair,revealingtheburdenthat
untilnowhadbeenconcealedbythehirsutebodiesofhiscompanions.Hewas
holdingastoutbranch,andimpaleduponitwasthebloodyheadoftheleopard.
Themouthhadbeenjammedopenwithastick,andthegreatfangsgleameda
ghastlywhiteinthefirstraysoftherisingsun.
MostoftheOthersweretooparalyzedwithfrighttomovebutsomebegana
slow,stumblingretreat.ThatwasalltheencouragementthatMoonWatcher
needed.Stillholdingthemangledtrophyabovehishead,hestartedtocrossthe
stream.Afteramoment'shesitation,hiscompanionssplashedafterhim.
WhenMoonWatcherreachedthefarside,OneEarwasstillstandinghis
ground.Perhapshewastoobraveortoostupidtorunperhapshecouldnot
reallybelievethatthisoutragewasactuallyhappening.Cowardorhero,itmade
nodifferenceintheend,asthefrozensnarlofdeathcamecrashingdownupon
hisuncomprehendinghead.
Shriekingwithfright,theOthersscatteredintothebushbutpresently
theywouldreturn,andsoontheywouldforgettheirlostleader.
ForafewsecondsMoonWatcherstooduncertainlyabovehisnewvictim,
tryingtograspthestrangeandwonderfulfactthatthedeadleopardcouldkill

again.Nowhewasmasteroftheworld,andhewasnotquitesurewhattodo
next.
Buthewouldthinkofsomething.

6AscentofMan

Anewanimalwasabroadontheplanet,spreadingslowlyoutfromtheAfrican
heartland.Itwasstillsorarethatahastycensusmighthaveoverlookedit,
amongtheteemingbillionsofcreaturesrovingoverlandandsea.Therewasno
evidence,asyet,thatitwouldprosperorevensurvive:onthisworldwhereso
manymightierbeastshadpassedaway,itsfatestillwaveredinthebalance.
InthehundredthousandyearssincethecrystalshaddescendeduponAfrica,
themanapeshadinventednothing.Buttheyhadstartedtochange,andhad
developedskillswhichnootheranimalpossessed.Theirboneclubshadincreased
theirreachandmultipliedtheirstrengththeywerenolongerdefenseless
againstthepredatorswithwhomtheyhadtocompete.Thesmallercarnivoresthey
coulddriveawayfromtheirownkillsthelargeronestheycouldatleast
discourage,andsometimesputtoflight.
Theirmassiveteethweregrowingsmaller,fortheywerenolongeressential.
Thesharpedgedstonesthatcouldbeusedtodigoutroots,ortocutandsaw
throughtoughfleshorfiber,hadbeguntoreplacethem,withimmeasurable
consequences.Nolongerwerethemanapesfacedwithstarvationwhentheirteeth
becamedamagedorworneventhecrudesttoolscouldaddmanyyearstotheir
lives.Andastheirfangsdiminished,theshapeoftheirfacestartedtoalter
thesnoutreceded,themassivejawbecamemoredelicate,themouthabletomake
moresubtlesounds.Speechwasstillamillionyearsaway,butthefirststeps
towardithadbeentaken.
Andthentheworldbegantochange.Infourgreatwaves,withtwohundred
thousandyearsbetweentheircrests,theIceAgessweptby,leavingtheirmark
onalltheglobe.Outsidethetropics,theglaciersslewthosewhohad
prematurelylefttheftancestralhomeandeverywheretheywinnowedoutthe
creatureswhocouldnotadapt.
Whentheicehadpassed,sohadmuchoftheplanet'searlylifeincluding
themanapes.But,unlikesomanyothers,theyhadleftdescendantstheyhad
notmerelybecomeextincttheyhadbeentransformed.Thetoolmakershadbeen
remadebytheirowntools.

Forinusingclubsandflints,theirhandshaddevelopedadexterityfound
nowhereelseintheanimalkingdom,permittingthemtomakestillbettertools,
whichinturnhaddevelopedtheirlimbsandbrainsyetfurther.Itwasan
accelerating,cumulativeprocessandatitsendwasMan.
Thefirsttruemenhadtoolsandweaponsonlyalittlebetterthanthoseof
theirancestorsamillionyearsearlier,buttheycouldusethemwithfar
greaterskill.
Andsomewhereintheshadowycenturiesthathadgonebeforetheyhad
inventedthemostessentialtoolofall,thoughitcouldbeneitherseennor
touched.Theyhadlearnedtospeak,andsohadwontheirfirstgreatvictory
overTime.Nowtheknowledgeofonegenerationcouldbehandedontothenext,
sothateachagecouldprofitfromthosethathadgonebefore.
Unliketheanimals,whoknewonlythepresent,Manhadacquiredapastand
hewasbeginningtogropetowardafuture.
Hewasalsolearningtoharnesstheforcesofnaturewiththetamingof
fire,hehadlaidthefoundationsoftechnologyandlefthisanimaloriginsfar
behind.Stonegavewaytobronze,andthentoiron.Huntingwassucceededby
agriculture.Thetribegrewintothevillage,thevillageintothetown.Speech
becameeternal,thankstocertainmarksonstoneandclayandpapyrus.Presently
heinventedphilosophy,andreligion.Andhepeopledthesky,notaltogether
inaccurately,withgods.
Ashisbodybecamemoreandmoredefenseless,sohismeansofoffensebecame
steadilymorefrightful.Withstoneandbronzeandironandsteelhehadrunthe
gamutofeverythingthatcouldpierceandslash,andquiteearlyintimehehad
learnedhowtostrikedownhisvictimsfromadistance.Thespear,thebow,the
gun,andfinallytheguidedmissilehadgivenhimweaponsofinfiniterangeand
allbutinfinitepower.
Withoutthoseweapons,oftenthoughhehadusedthemagainsthimself,Man
wouldneverhaveconqueredhisworld.Intothemhehadputhisheartandsoul,
andforagestheyhadservedhimwell.
Butnow,aslongastheyexisted,hewaslivingonborrowedtime.

IITMA1

7SpecialFlight

NomatterhowmanytimesyouleftEarth,Dr.HeywoodFloydtoldhimself,the
excitementneverreallypalled.HehadbeentoMarsonce,totheMoonthree
times,andtothevariousspacestationsmoreoftenthanhecouldremember.Yet
asthemomentoftakeoffapproached,hewasconsciousofarisingtension,a
feelingofwonderandaweyesandofnervousnesswhichputhimonthesame
levelasanyEarthlubberabouttoreceivehisfirstbaptismofspace.
ThejetthathadrushedhimherefromWashington,afterthatmidnight
briefingwiththePresident,wasnowdroppingdowntowardoneofthemost
familiar,yetmostexciting,landscapesinalltheworld.Therelaythefirst
twogenerationsoftheSpaceAge,spanningtwentymilesoftheFloridacoastto
thesouth,outlinedbywinkingredwarninglights,werethegiantgantriesof
theSaturnsandNeptunes,thathadsetmenonthepathtotheplanets,andhad
nowpassedintohistory.Nearthehorizon,agleamingsilvertowerbathedin
floodlights,stoodthelastoftheSaturnV's,foralmosttwentyyearsa
nationalmonumentandplaceofpilgrimage.Notfaraway,loomingagainstthesky
likeamanmademountain,wastheincrediblebulkoftheVehicleAssembly
Building,stillthelargestsinglestructureonEarth.
Butthesethingsnowbelongedtothepast,andhewasflyingtowardthe
future.Astheybanked,Dr.Floydcouldseebelowhimamazeofbuildings,then
agreatairstrip,thenabroad,deadstraightscaracrossthefiatFlorida
landscapethemultiplerailsofagiantlaunchlugtrack.Atitsend,
surroundedbyvehiclesandgantries,aspaceplanelaygleaminginapoolof
light,beingpreparedforitsleaptothestars.Inasuddenfailureof
perspective,broughtonbyhisswiftchangesofspeedandheight,itseemedto
Floydthathewaslookingdownonasmallsilvermoth,caughtinthebeamofa
flashlight.
Thenthetiny,scurryingfiguresonthegroundbroughthometohimthereal
sizeofthespacecraftitmusthavebeentwohundredfeetacrossthenarrowV
ofitswings.
Andthatenormousvehicle,Floydtoldhimselfwithsomeincredulityyet
alsowithsomeprideiswaitingforme.Asfarasheknew,itwasthefirst
timethatanentiremissionhadbeensetuptotakeasinglemantotheMoon.
Though,itwastwoo'clockinthemorning,agroupofreportersand
camerameninterceptedhimonhiswaytothefloodlitOrionIIIspacecraft.He
knewseveralofthem bysight,forasChairmanoftheNationalCouncilof
Astronautics,thenewsconferencewaspartofhiswayoflife.Thiswasneither
thetimenortheplaceforone,andhehadnothingtosaybutitwasimportant
nottooffendthegentlemenofthecommunicationsmedia.

"Dr.Floyd?I'mJimForsterofAssociatedNews.Couldyougiveusafew
wordsaboutthisflightofyours?"
"I'mverysorryIcan'tsayanything."
"ButyoudidmeetwiththePresidentearlierthisevening?"askedafamiliar
voice.
"Ohhello,Mike.I'mafraidyou'vebeendraggedoutofbedfornothing.
Definitelynocomment."
"Canyouatleastconfirmordenythatsomekindofepidemichasbrokenout
ontheMoon?"aTVreporterasked,managingtojogalongsideandkeepFloyd
properlyframedinhisminiatureTVcamera.
"Sorry,"saidFloyd,shakinghishead.
"Whataboutthequarantine?"askedanotherreporter."Howlongwillitbe
kepton?"
"Stillnocomment."
"Dr.Floyd,"demandedaveryshortanddeterminedladyofthepress,"what
possiblejustificationcantherebeforthistotalblackoutofnewsfromthe
Moon?Hasitanythingtodowiththepoliticalsituation?"
"Whatpoliticalsituation?"Floydaskeddryly.Therewasasprinkleof
laughter,andsomeonecalled,"Haveagoodtrip,Doctor!"ashemadehisway
intothesanctuaryoftheboardinggantry.
Aslong,ashecouldremember,ithadbeennota"situation"somuchasa
permanentcrisis.Sincethe1970s,theworldhadbeendominatedbytwoproblems
which,ironically,tendedtocanceleachotherout.
Thoughbirthcontrolwascheap,reliable,andendorsedbyallthemain
religions,ithadcometoolatethepopulationoftheworldwasnowsixbillion
athirdofthemintheChineseEmpire.Lawshadevenbeenpassedinsome
authoritariansocietieslimitingfamiliestotwochildren,buttheirenforcement
hadprovedimpracticable.Asaresult,foodwasshortineverycountryeventhe
UnitedStateshadmeatlessdays,andwidespreadfaminewaspredictedwithin
fifteenyears,despiteheroiceffortstofarmtheseaandtodevelopsynthetic
foods.
Withtheneedforinternationalcooperationmoreurgentthanever,there
werestillasmanyfrontiersasinanyearlierage.Inamillionyears,the

humanracehadlostfewofitsaggressiveinstinctsalongsymboliclines
visibleonlytopoliticians,thethirtyeightnuclearpowerswatchedoneanother
withbelligerentanxiety.Amongthem,theypossessedsufficientmegatonnageto
removetheentiresurfacecrustoftheplanet.Althoughtherehadbeen
miraculouslynouseofatomicweapons,thissituationcouldhardlylast
forever.
Andnow,fortheirowninscrutablereasons,theChinesewereofferingtothe
smallesthavenotnationsacompletenuclearcapabilityoffiftywarheadsand
deliverysystems.Thecostwasunder$200,000,000,andeasytermscouldbe
arranged.
Perhapstheywereonlytryingtoshoreuptheirsaggingeconomy,byturning
obsoleteweaponssystemsintohardcash,assomeobservershadsuggested.Or
perhapstheyhaddiscoveredmethodsofwarfaresoadvancedthattheynolonger
hadneedofsuchtoystherehadbeentalkofradiohypnosisfromsatellite
transmitters,compulsionviruses,andblackmailbysyntheticdiseasesforwhich
theyalonepossessedtheantidote.
Thesecharmingideaswerealmostcertainlypropagandaorpurefantasy,but
itwasnotsafetodiscountanyofthem.EverytimeFloydtookofffromEarth,
hewonderedifitwouldstillbetherewhenthetimecametoreturn.
Thetrimstewardessgreetedhimasheenteredthecabin."Goodmorning,Dr.
Floyd.I'mMissSimmonsI'dliketowelcomeyouaboardonbehalfofCaptain
Tynesandourcopilot,FirstOfficerBallard."
"Thankyou,"saidFloydwithasmile,wonderingwhystewardessesalwayshad
tosoundlikerobottourguides.
"Takeoff'sinfiveminutes,"shesaid,gesturingintotheemptytwenty
passengercabin."Youcantakeanyseatyouwant,butCaptainTynesrecommends
theforwardwindowseatontheleft,ifyouwanttowatchthedocking
operations."
"I'lldothat,"heanswered,movingtowardthepreferredseat.The
stewardessfussedoverhimawhileandthenmovedtohercubicleattherearof
thecabin.
Floydsettleddowninhisseat,adjustedthesafetyharnessaroundwaistand
shoulders,andstrappedhisbriefcasetotheadjacentseat.Amomentlater,the
loudspeakercameonwithasoftpoppingnoise."Goodmorning,"saidMiss
Simmons'voice."ThisisSpecialFlight3,KennedytoSpaceStationOne."
Shewasdetermined,itseemed,togothroughthefullroutineforher
solitarypassenger,andFloydcouldnotresistasmileasshecontinued

inexorably.
"Ourtransittimewillbefiftyfiveminutes.Maximumaccelerationwillbe
twogee,andwewillbeweightlessforthirtyminutes.Pleasedonotleaveyour
seatuntilthesafetysignislit."
Floydlookedoverhisshoulderandcalled,"Thankyou."Hecaughtaglimpse
ofaslightlyembarrassedbutcharmingsmile.
Heleanedbackintohisseatandrelaxed.Thistrip,hecalculated,would
costthetaxpayersslightlyoveramilliondollars.Ifitwasnotjustified,he
wouldbeoutofhisjobbuthecouldalwaysgobacktotheuniversityandto
hisinterruptedstudiesofplanetaryformation.
"AutocountdownproceduresallGo,"thecaptain'svoicesaidoverthe
speakerwiththesoothingsingsongusedinRTchat."Liftoffinoneminute."
Asalways,itseemedmorelikeanhour.Floydbecameacutelyawareofthe
giganticforcescoileduparoundhim,waitingtobereleased.Inthefueltanks
ofthetwospacecraft,andinthepowerstoragesystemofthelaunchingtrack,
waspentuptheenergyofanuclearbomb.Anditwouldallbeusedtotakehima
meretwohundredmilesfromEarth.
TherewasnoneoftheoldfashionedFIVEFOIJRTHREETWOONEZERObusiness,
sotoughonthehumannervoussystem.
"Launchinginfifteenseconds.Youwillbemorecomfortableifyoustart
breathingdeeply."
Thatwasgoodpsychology,andgoodphysiology.
Floydfelthimselfwellchargedwithoxygen,andreadytotackleanything,
whenthelaunchingtrackbegantoslingitsthousandtonpayloadoutoverthe
Atlantic.
Itwashardtotellwhentheyliftedfromthetrackandbecameairborne,but
whentheroaroftherocketssuddenlydoubleditsfury,andFloydfoundhimself
sinkingdeeperanddeeperintothecushionsofhisseat,heknewthatthefirst
stageengineshadtakenover.Hewishedhecouldlookoutofthewindow,butit
wasanefforteventoturnhishead,Yettherewasnodiscomfortindeed,the
pressureofaccelerationandtheoverwhelmingthunderofthemotorsproducedan
extraordinaryeuphoria.Hisearsringing,thebloodpoundinginhisveins,Floyd
feltmorealivethanhehadforyears.Hewasyoungagain,hewantedtosing
aloudwhichwascertainlysafe,fornoonecouldpossiblyhearhim.
Themoodpassedswiftly,ashesuddenlyrealizedthathewasleavingEarth,

andeverythinghehadeverloved.Downtherewerehisthreechildren,motherless
sincehiswifehadtakenthatfatalflighttoEuropetenyearsago.(Tenyears?
Impossible!Yetitwasso...)Perhaps,fortheirsake,heshouldhaveremarried.
Hehadalmostlostsenseoftimewhenthepressureandthenoiseabruptly
slackened,andthecabinspeakerannounced:"Preparingtoseparatefromlower
stage.Herewego."
TherewasaslightjoltandsuddenlyFloydrecalledaquotationofLeonardo
daVinci'swhichhehadonceseendisplayedinaNASAoffice:

TheGreatBirdwilltakeitsflightonthebackofthegreatbird,bringing
glorytothenestwhereitwasborn.

Well,theGreatBirdwasflyingnow,beyondallthedreamsofdaVinci,and
itsexhaustedcompanionwaswingingbacktoearth.Inatenthousandmilearc,
theemptylowerstagewouldglidedownintotheatmosphere,tradingspeedfor
distanceasithomedonKennedy.Inafewhours,servicedandrefueled,itwould
bereadyagaintoliftanothercompaniontowardtheshiningsilencewithit
couldneverreach.
Now,thoughtFloyd,weareonourown,morethanhalfwaytoorbit.Whenthe
accelerationcameonagain,astheupperstagerocketsfired,thethrustwas
muchmoregentle:indeed,hefeltnomorethannormalgravity.Butitwouldhave
beenimpossibletowalk,since"Up"wasstraighttowardthefrontofthecabin.
Ifhehadbeenfoolishenoughtoleavehisseat,hewouldhavecrashedatonce
againsttherearwall.
Thiseffectwasalittledisconcerting,foritseemedthattheshipwas
standingonitstail.ToFloyd,whowasattheveryfrontofthecabin,allthe
seatsappearedtobefixedonawalltoppingverticallybeneathhim.Hewas
doinghisbesttoignorethisuncomfortableillusionwhendawnexplodedoutside
theship.
Inseconds,theyshotthroughveilsofcrimsonandpinkandgoldandblue
intothepiercingwhiteofday.
Thoughthewindowswereheavilytintedtoreducetheglare,theprobing
beamsofsunlightthatnowslowlysweptacrossthecabinleftFloydhalfblinded
forseveralminutes.Hewasinspace,yettherewasnoquestionofbeingableto
seethestars.

Heshieldedhiseyeswithhishandsandtriedtopeerthroughthewindow
besidehim.Outtherethesweptbackwingoftheshipwasblazinglikewhitehot
metalinthereflectedsunlighttherewasutterdarknessallaroundit,and
thatdarknessmustbefullofstarsbutitwasimpossibletoseethem.
Weightwasslowlyebbingtherocketswerebeingthrottledbackastheship
easeditselfintoorbit.Thethunderoftheenginesdroppedtoamutedroar,
thenagentlehiss,thendiedintosilence.Ifithadnotbeenforthe
restrainingstraps,Floydwouldhavefloatedoutofhisseathisstomachfelt
asifitwasgoingtodosoanyway.Hehopedthatthepillshehadbeengiven
halfanhourandtenthousandmilesagowouldperformasperspecifications.He
hadbeenspacesickjustonceinhiscareer,andthatwasmuchtoooften.
Thepilot'svoicewasfirmandconfidentasitcameoverthecabinspeaker.
"PleaseobserveallZerogeeregulations.WewillbedockingatSpaceStation
Oneinfortyfiveminutes."
Thestewardesscamewalkingupthenarrowcorridortotherightofthe
closelyspacedseats.Therewasaslightbuoyancyabouthersteps,andherfeet
cameawayfromthefloorreluctantlyasifentangledinglue.Shewaskeepingto
thebrightyellowbandofVelcrocarpetingthatranthefulllengthofthefloor
andoftheceiling.Thecarpet,andthesolesofhersandals,werecovered
withmyriadsoftinyhooks,sothattheyclungtogetherlikeburrs.Thistrick
ofwalkinginfreefallwasimmenselyreassuringtodisorientedpassengers.
"Wouldyoulikesomecoffeeortea,Dr.Floyd?"sheaskedcheerfully.
"Nothankyou,"hesmiled.Healwaysfeltlikeababywhenhehadtosuckat
oneofthoseplasticdrinkingtubes.
Thestewardesswasstillhoveringanxiouslyaroundhimashepoppedopenhis
briefcaseandpreparedtoremovehispapers.
"Dr.Floyd,mayIaskyouaquestion?"
"Certainly,"heanswered,lookingupoverhisglasses."Myfiancisa
geologistatClavius,"saidMissSimmons,measuringherwordscarefully,"andI
haven'theardfromhimforoveraweek."
"I'msorrytohearthatmaybehe'sawayfromhisbase,andoutoftouch."
Sheshookherhead."Healwaystellsmewhenthat'sgoingtohappen.Andyou
canimaginehowworriedIam withalltheserumors.Isitreallytrueaboutan
epidemicontheMoon?"
"Ifitis,there'snocauseforalarm..Remember,therewasaquarantine

backin'98,overthatmutatedfluvirus.Alotofpeopleweresickbutnoone
died,Andthat'sreallyallIcansay,"heconcludedfirmly.
MissSimmonssmiledpleasantlyandstraightenedup."Well,thankyouanyway,
Doctor.I'msorrytohavebotheredyou."
"Nobotheratall,"hesaidgallantly,butnotveryaccurately.Thenhe
buriedhimselfinhisendlesstechnicalreports,inadesperatelastminute
assaultontheusualbacklog
HewouldhavenotimeforreadingwhenhegottotheMoon.

8OrbitalRendezvous

Halfanhourlaterthepilotannounced:"Wemakecontactintenminutes.
Pleasecheckyourseatharness."
Floydobeyed,andputawayhispapers.Itwasaskingfortroubletoread
duringthecelestialjugglingactwhichtookplaceduringthelast300miles
besttocloseone'seyesandrelaxwhilethespacecraftwasnudgedbackand
forthwithbriefburstsofrocketpower.
AfewminuteslaterhecaughthisfirstglimpseofSpaceStationOne,onlya
fewmilesaway.Thesunlightglintedandsparkledfromthepolishedmetal
surfacesoftheslowlyrevolving,threehundredyarddiameterdisk.Notfar
away,driftinginthesameorbit,wasasweptbackTitovVspaceplane,andclose
tothatanalmostsphericalAries1B,theworkhorseofspace,withthefour
stubbylegsofitslunarlandingshockabsorbersjuttingfromoneside.
TheOrionIIIspacecraftwasdescendingfromahigherorbit,whichbrought
theEarthintospectacularviewbehindtheStation.Fromhisaltitudeof200
miles,FloydcouldseemuchofAfricaandtheAtlanticOcean.Therewas
considerablecloudcover,buthecouldstilldetectthebluegreenoutlinesof
theGoldCoast.
ThecentralaxisoftheSpaceStation,withitsdockingarmsextended,was
nowslowlyswimmingtowardthem.Unlikethestructurefromwhichitsprang,it
wasnotrotatingor,rather,itwasrunninginreverseataratewhichexactly
counteredtheStation'sownspin.Thusavisitingspacecraftcouldbecoupledto
it,forthetransferofpersonnelorcargo,withoutbeingwhirleddisastrously
around.

Withthesoftestofthuds,shipandStationmadecontact.Therewere
metallic,scratchingnoisesfromoutside,thenthebriefhissingofairas
pressuresequalized.
Afewsecondslatertheairlockdooropened,andamanwearingthelight,
closefittingslacksandshortsleevedshirtwhichwasalmosttheuniformof
SpaceStationpersonnelcameintothecabin.
"Pleasedtomeetyou,Dr.Floyd.I'mNickMiller,StationSecurityI'mto
lookafteryouuntiltheshuttleleaves."
Theyshookhands,thenFloydsmiledatthestewardessandsaid:"Pleasegive
mycomplimentstoCaptainTynes,andthankhimforthesmoothride.PerhapsI'll
seeyouonthewayhome."
Verycautiouslyitwasmorethanayearsincehehadlastbeenweightless
anditwouldbesometimebeforeheregainedhisspacelegshehauledhimself
handoverhandthroughtheairlockandintothelarge,circularchamberatthe
axisoftheSpaceStation.Itwasaheavilypaddedroom,itswallscoveredwith
recessedhandholdsFloydgrippedoneofthesefirmlywhilethewholechamber
startedtorotate,untilitmatchedthespinoftheStation.
Asitgainedspeed,faintandghostlygravitationalfingersbegantoclutch
athim,andhedriftedslowlytowardthecircularwall.Nowhewasstanding,
swayingbackandforthgentlylikeseaweedinthesurgeofthetide,onwhathad
magicallybecomeacurvingfloor.ThecentrifugalforceoftheStation'sspin
hadtakenholdofhimitwasveryfeeblehere,soneartheaxis,butwould
increasesteadilyashemovedoutward.
FromthecentraltransitchamberhefollowedMillerdownacurvingstair.At
firsthisweightwassoslightthathehadalmosttoforcehimselfdownwardby
holdingontothehandrail.Notuntilhereachedthepassengerlounge,onthe
outerskinofthegreatrevolvingdisk,hadheacquiredenoughweighttomove
aroundalmostnormally.
Theloungehadbeenredecoratedsincehislastvisit,andhadacquired
severalnewfacilities.Besidestheusualchairs,smalltables,restaurant,and
postofficetherewerenowabarbershop,drugstore,movietheateranda
souvenirshopsellingphotographsandslidesoflunarandplanetarylandscapes,
guaranteedgenuinepiecesofLuniks,Rangers,andSurveyors,allneatlymounted
inplastic,andexorbitantlypriced.
"CanIgetyouanythingwhilewe'rewaiting?"Millerasked."Weboardin
aboutthirtyminutes?'
"IcoulddowithacupofblackcoffeetwolumpsandI'dliketocall

Earth."
"Right,DoctorI'llgetthecoffeethephonesareoverthere."
Thepicturesqueboothswereonlyafewyardsfromabarrierwithtwo
entranceslabeledWELCOMETOTHEU.S.SECTIONandWELCOMETOTHESOVIET
SECTION.
Beneaththesewerenoticeswhichread,inEnglish,Russian,andChinese,
French,German,andSpanish.

PLEASEHAVEREADYYOUR:
Passport
Visa
MedicalCertificate
TransportationPermit
WeightDeclaration

Therewasaratherpleasantsymbolismaboutthefactthatassoonasthey
hadpassedthroughthebarriers,ineitherdirection,passengerswerefreeto
mixagain.Thedivisionwaspurelyforadministrativepurposes.
Floyd,aftercheckingthattheAreaCodefortheUnitedStateswasstill81,
punchedhistwelvedigithomenumber,droppedhisplasticallpurposecredit
cardintothepayslot,andwasthroughinthirtyseconds.
Washingtonwasstillsleeping,foritwasseveralhourstodawn,buthe
wouldnotdisturbanyone.Hishousekeeperwouldgetthemessagefromthe
recorderassoonassheawoke.
"MissFlemmingthisisDr.Floyd.SorryIhadtoleaveinsuchahurry.
Wouldyoupleasecallmyofficeandaskthemtocollectthecarit'satDulles
AirportandthekeyiswithMr.Bailey,SeniorFlightControlOfficer.Next,
willyoucalltheChevyChaseCountryClubandleaveamessageforthe
secretary.Idefinitelywon'tbeabletoplayinthetennistournamentnext
weekend.GivemyapologiesI'mafraidtheywerecountingonme.Thencall
DowntownElectroniesandtellthemthatifthevideoinmystudyisn'tfixedby

oh,Wednesdaytheycantakethedamnthingback."Hepausedforbreath,and
triedtothinkofanyothercrisesorproblemsthatmightariseduringthedays
ahead.
"Ifyourunshortofcash,speaktotheofficetheycangeturgentmessages
tome,butImaybetoobusytoanswer.Givemylovetothechildren,andsay
I'llbebackassoonasIcan.Oh,hellhere'ssomeoneIdon'twanttosee
I'llcallfromtheMoonifIcangoodbye."
Floydtriedtoduckoutofthebooth,butitwastoolatehehadalready
beenspotted.BearingdownonhimthroughtheSovietSectionexitwasDr.
DimitriMoisevitch,oftheU.S.S.R.AcademyofScience.Dimitriwasoneof
Floyd'sbestfriendsandforthatveryreason,hewasthelastpersonhewished
totalkto,hereandnow.

9MoonShuttle

TheRussianastronomerwastall,slender,andblond,andhisunlinedface
beliedhisfiftyfiveyearsthelasttenofwhichhadbeenspentbuildingup
thegiantradioobservatoryonthefarsideoftheMoon,wheretwothousand
milesofsolidrockwouldshielditfromtheeletronicracketofEarth.
"Why,Heywood,"hesaid,shakinghandsfirmly."It'sasmalluniverse...How
areyouandyourcharmingchildren?"
"We'refine,"Floydrepliedwarmly,butwithaslightlydistractedair."We
oftentalkaboutthewonderfultimeyougaveuslastsummer."Hewassorryhe
couldnotsoundmoresinceretheyreallyhadenjoyedaweek'svacationin
OdessawithDimitriduringoneoftheRussian'svisitstoEarth.
"AndyouIsupposeyou'reonyourwayup?"Dimitriinquired.
"Er,yesmyflightleavesinhalfanhour,"answeredFloyd."Doyouknow
Mr.Miller?"
TheSecurityOfficerhadnowapproached,andwasstandingatarespectful
distanceholdingaplasticcupfullofcoffee.
"Ofcourse.Butpleaseputthatdown,Mr.Miller.ThisisDr.Floyd'slast
chancetohaveacivilizeddrinklet'snotwasteit.NoIinsist."
TheyfollowedDimitrioutofthemainloungeintotheobservationsection,

andsoonweresittingatatableunderadimlightwatchingthemovingpanorama
ofthestars.SpaceStationOnerevolvedonceaminute,andthecentrifugal
forcegeneratedbythisslowspinproducedanartificialgravityequaltothe
Moon's.This,ithadbeendiscovered,wasagoodcompromisebetweenEarth
gravityandnogravityatallmoreover,itgavemoonboundpassengersachance
tobecomeacclimatized.
Outsidethealmostinvisiblewindows,Earthandstarsmarchedinasilent
procession.Atthemoment,thissideoftheStationwastiltedawayfromthe
sunotherwise,itwouldhavebeenimpossibletolookout,fortheloungewould
havebeenblastedwithlight.Evenasitwas,theglareoftheEarth,filling
halfthesky,drownedallbutthebrighterstars.
ButEarthwaswaning,astheStationorbitedtowardthenightsideofthe
planetinafewminutesitwouldbeahugeblackdisk,spangledwiththelights
ofcities.Andthentheskywouldbelongtothestars.
"Now,"saidDimitri,afterhehadswiftlydownedhisfirstdrinkandwas
toyingwiththesecond,"what'sallthisaboutanepidemicintheU.S.Sector?I
wantedtogothereonthistrip.'No,Professor,'theytoldme.'We'revery
sorry,butthere'sastrictquarantineuntilfurthernotice.'Ipulledallthe
stringsIcouldItwasnouse.Nowyoutellmewhat'shappening."
Floydgroanedinwardly.Herewegoagain,hesaid.ThesoonerI'monthat
shuttle,headedfortheMoon,thehappierI'llbe.
"Theahquarantineispurelyasafetyprecaution,"hesaidcautiously.
'We'renotevensureit'sreallynecessary,butwedon'tbelieveintaking
chances."
"Butwhatisthediseasewhatarethesymptoms?Coulditbe
extraterrestrial?Doyouwantanyhelpfromourmedicalservices?"
"I'msorry,Dimitriwe'vebeenaskednottosayanythingatthemoment.
Thanksfortheoffer,butwecanhandlethesituation."
"Hmm,"saidMoisevitch,obviouslyquiteunconvinced."Seemsoddtomethat
you,anastronomer,shouldbesentuptotheMoontolookintoanepidemic."
"I'monlyanexastronomerit'syearssinceIdidanyrealresearch.Now
I'mascientificexpertthatmeansIknownothingaboutabsolutelyeverything."
"ThendoyouknowwhatTMA1means?"
Millerseemedabouttochokeonhisdrink,butFloydwasmadeofsterner
stuff.Helookedhisoldfriendstraightintheeye,andsaidcalmly:"TMA1?

Whatanoddexpression.Wheredidyouhearit?"
"Nevermind,"retortedtheRussian."Youcan'tfoolme.Butifyou'verun
intosomethingyoucan'thandle,Ihopeyoudon'tleaveituntiltoolatebefore
youyellforhelp."
Millerlookedmeaningfullyathiswatch.
"Duetoboardinfiveminutes,Dr.Floyd,"hesaid."Ithinkwe'dbetterget
moving."
Thoughheknewthattheystillhadagoodtwentyminutes,Floydgotupwith
haste.Toomuchhaste,forhehadforgottentheonesixthofagravity.He
grabbedthetablejustintimetopreventatakeoff.
"Itwasfinemeetingyou,Dimitri,"hesaid,notquiteaccurately."Hopeyou
haveagoodtripdowntoEarthI'llgiveyouacallassoonasI'mback."
Astheyleftthelounge,andcheckedthroughtheU.S.transitbarrier,
Floydremarked:"Phewthatwasclose.Thanksforrescuingme."
"Youknow,Doctor,"saidtheSecurityOfficer,"Ihopeheisn'tright."
"Rightaboutwhat?"
"Aboutusrunningintosomethingwecan'thandle."
"That,"Floydansweredwithdetermination,"iswhatIintendtofindout."
Fortyfiveminuteslater,theArieslBlunarcarrierpulledawayfromthe
Station.TherewasnoneofthepowerandfuryofatakeofffromEarthonlyan
almostinaudible,faroffwhistlingasthelowthrustplasmajetsblastedtheir
electrifiedstreamsintospace.Thegentlepushlastedformorethanfifteen
minutes,andthemildaccelerationwouldnothavepreventedanyonefrommoving
aroundthecabin.Butwhenitwasover,theshipwasnolongerboundtoEarth,
asithadbeenwhileitstillaccompaniedtheStation.Ithadbrokenthebonds
ofgravityandwasnowafreeandindependentplanet,circlingthesuninan
orbitofitsown.
ThecabinFloydnowhadalltohimselfhadbeendesignedforthirty
passengers.Itwasstrange,andratherlonely,toseealltheemptyseatsaround
him,andtohavetheundividedattentionofthestewardandstewardessnotto
mentionpilot,copilot,andtwoengineers.Hedoubtedthatanymaninhistory
hadeverreceivedsuchexclusiveservice,anditwasmostunlikelythatanyone
woulddosointhefuture.Herecalledthecynicalremarkofoneoftheless
reputablepontiffs:"Nowthatwehavethepapacy,letusenjoyit."Well,he

wouldenjoythistip,andtheeuphoriaofweightlessness.Withthelossof
gravityhehadatleastforawhileshedmostofhiscares.Someonehadonce
saidthatyoucouldbeterrifiedinspace,butyoucouldnotbeworriedthere.
Itwasperfectlytrue.
Thestewards,itappeared,weredeterminedtomakehimeatforthewhole
twentyfivehoursofthetrip,andhewascontinuallyfendingoffunwanted
meals.Eatinginzerogravitywasnorealproblem,contrarytothedark
forebodingsoftheearlyastronauts.Hesatatanordinarytable,towhichthe
plateswereclipped,asaboardshipinaroughsea.Allthecourseshadsome
elementofstickiness,sothattheywouldnottakeoffandgowanderinground
thecabin.Thusachopwouldbegluedtotheplatebyathicksauce,andasalad
keptundercontrolbyanadhesivedressing.Withalittleskillandcarethere
werefewitemsthatcouldnotbetackledsafelytheonlythingsbannedwerehot
soupsandexcessivelycrumblypastries.Drinksofcourse,wereadifferent
matterallliquidssimplyhadtobekeptinplasticsqueezetubes.
Awholegenerationofresearchbyheroicbutunsungvolunteershadgoneinto
thedesignofthewashroom,anditwasnowconsideredtobemoreorless
foolproof.Floydinvestigateditsoonafterfreefallhadbegun.Hefound
himselfinalittlecubiclewithallthefittingsofanordinaryairlinetoilet,
butilluminatedwitharedlightthatwasveryharshandunpleasanttotheeye.
Anoticeprintedinprominentlettersannounced:MOSTIMPORTANT!FORYOUROWN
COMFORT,PLEASEREADTHESEINSTRUCTIONSCAREFULLY!
Floydsatdown(onestilltendedtodoso,evenwhenweightless)andread
thenoticeseveraltimes.Whenhewassurethattherehadbeennomodifications
sincehislasttrip,hepressedtheSTARTbutton.
Closeathand,anelectricmotorbegantowhirr,andFloydfelthimself
moving.Asthenoticeadvisedhimtodo,heclosedhiseyesandwaited.Aftera
minute,abellchimedsoftlyandhelookedaround.
Thelighthadnowchangedtoasoothingpinkishwhitebut,moreimportant,
hewasundergravityagain.
Onlythefaintestvibrationrevealedthatitwasaspuriousgravity,caused
bythecarrousellikespinofthewholetoiletcompartment.Floydpickedupa
pieceofsoap,andwatcheditdropinslowmotionhejudgedthatthe
centrifugalforcewasaboutaquarterofanormalgravity.Butthatwasquite
enoughitwouldensurethateverythingmovedintherightdirection,intheone
placewherethismatteredmost.
HepressedtheSTOPFOREXITbutton,andclosedhiseyesagain.Weight
slowlyebbedastherotationceased,thebellgaveadoublechime,andthered
warninglightwasback.Thedoorwasthenlockedintherightpositiontolet

himglideoutintothecabin,whereheadheredasquicklyaspossibletothe
carpet.Hehadlongagoexhaustedthenoveltyofweightlessness,andwas
gratefulfortheVelcroslippersthatallowedhimtowalkalmostnormally.
Therewasplentytooccupyhistime,evenifhedidnothingbutsitand
read.Whenhetiredofofficialreportsandmemorandaandminutes,hewouldplug
hisfoolscapsizedNewspadintotheship'sinformationcircuitandscanthe
latestreportsfromEarth.Onebyonehewouldconjureuptheworld'smajor
electronicpapersheknewthecodesofthemoreimportantonesbyheart,and
hadnoneedtoconsultthelistonthebackofhispad.Switchingtothedisplay
unit'sshorttermmemory,hewouldholdthefrontpagewhilehequicklysearched
theheadlinesandnotedtheitemsthatinterestedhim.
Eachhaditsowntwodigitreferencewhenhepunchedthat,thepostage
stampsizedrectanglewouldexpanduntilitneatlyfilledthescreenandhe
couldreaditwithcomfort.Whenhehadfinished,hewouldflashbacktothe
completepageandselectanewsubjectfordetailedexamination.
FloydsometimeswonderediftheNewspad,andthefantastictechnologybehind
it,wasthelastwordinman'squestforperfectcommunications.Herehewas,
faroutinspace,speedingawayfromEarthatthousandsofmilesanhour,yetin
afewmillisecondshecouldseetheheadlinesofanynewspaperhepleased.(That
veryword"newspaper,"ofcourse,wasananachronistichangoverintotheageof
electronics.)Thetextwasupdatedautomaticallyoneveryhourevenifoneread
onlytheEnglishversions,onecouldspendanentirelifetimedoingnothingbut
absorbingtheeverchangingflowofinformationfromthenewssatellites.
Itwashardtoimaginehowthesystemcouldbeimprovedormademore
convenient.Butsoonerorlater,Floydguessed,itwouldpassaway,tobe
replacedbysomethingasunimaginableastheNewspaditselfwouldhavebeento
CaxtonorGutenberg.
Therewasanotherthoughtwhichascanningofthosetinyelectronic
headlinesofteninvoked.Themorewonderfulthemeansofcommunication,themore
trivial,tawdry,ordepressingitscontentsseemedtobe.Accidents,crimes,
naturalandmanmadedisasters,threatsofconflict,gloomyeditorialsthese
stillseemedtobethemainconcernofthemillionsofwordsbeingsprayedinto
theether.YetFloydalsowonderedifthiswasaltogetherabadthingthe
newspapersofUtopia,hehadlongagodecided,wouldbeterriblydull.
Fromtimetotimethecaptainandtheothermembersofthecrewcameinto
thecabinandexchangedafewwordswithhim.Theytreatedtheirdistinguished
passengerwithawe,andweredoubtlessburningwithcuriosityabouthismission,
butweretoopolitetoaskanyquestionsoreventodropanyhints.
Onlythecharminglittlestewardessseemedcompletelyateaseinhis

presence.AsFloydquicklydiscovered,shecamefromBali,andhadcarried
beyondtheatmospheresomeofthegraceandmysteryofthatstilllargely
unspoiledisland.Oneofhisstrangest,andmostenchanting,memoriesofthe
entiretripwasherzerogravitydemonstrationofsomeclassicalBalinesedance
movements,withthelovely,bluegreencrescentofthewaningEarthasa
backdrop.
Therewasonesleepperiod,whenthemaincabinlightswereswitchedoffand
Floydfasteneddownhisarmsandlegswiththeelasticsheetsthatwouldprevent
himfromdriftingawayintospace.Itseemedacrudearrangementbutherein
zerogravityhisunpaddedcouchwasmorecomfortablethanthemostluxurious
mattressonEarth.
Whenhehadstrappedhimselfin,Floyddozedoffquicklyenough,butwokeup
onceinadrowsy,halfconsciouscondition,tobecompletelybaffledbyhis
strangesurroundings.Foramomenthethoughtthatbewasinthemiddleofsome
dimlylitChineselanternthefaintglowfromtheothercubiclesaroundhim
gavethatimpression.Thenhesaidtohimself,firmlyandsuccessfully:"Goto
sleep,boy.Thisisjustanordinarymoonshuttle."
Whenheawoke,theMoonhadswalloweduphalfthesky,andthebraking
maneuverswereabouttobegin.
Thewidearcofwindowssetinthecurvingwallofthepassengersectionnow
lookedoutontotheopensky,nottheapproachingglobe,sohemovedintothe
controlcabin.Here,ontherearviewTVscreens,hecouldwatchthefinal
stagesofthedescent.
TheapproachinglunarmountainswereutterlyunlikethoseofEarththey
lackedthedazzlingcapsofsnow,thegreen,closefittinggarmentsof
vegetation,themovingcrownsofcloud,Nevertheless,thefiercecontrastsof
lightandshadowgavethemastrangebeautyoftheirown.Thelawsofearthly
aestheticsdidnotapplyherethisworldhadbeenshapedandmoldedbyother
thanterrestrialforces,operatingovereonsoftimeunknowntotheyoung,
verdantEarth,withitsfleetingIceAges,itsswiftlyrisingandfallingseas,
itsmountainrangesdissolvinglikemistsbeforethedawn.Herewasage
inconceivablebutnotdeath,fortheMoonhadneverliveduntilnow.
Thedescendingshipwaspoisedalmostabovethelinedividingnightfrom
day,anddirectlybelowwasachaosofjaggedshadowsandbrilliant,isolated
peakscatchingthefirstlightoftheslowlunardawn.Thatwouldbeafearful
placetoattemptalanding,evenwithallpossibleelectronicaidsbutthey
wereslowlydriftingawayfromit,towardthenightsideoftheMoon.
ThenFloydsaw,ashiseyesgrewmoreaccustomedtothefainter
illumination,thatthenightlandwasnotwhollydark.Itwasaglowwitha

ghostlylight,inwhichpeaksandvalleysandplainscouldbeclearlyseen.The
Earth,agiantmoontotheMoon,wasfloodingthelandbelowwithitsradiance.
Onthepilot'spanel,lightsflashedaboveradarscreens,numberscameand
wentoncomputerdisplays,clockingoffthedistanceoftheapproachingMoon.
Theywerestillmorethanathousandmilesawaywhenweightreturnedasthejets
begantheirgentlebutsteadydeceleration.Forages,itseemed,theMoonslowly
expandedacrossthesky,thesunsankbelowthehorizon,andatlastasingle
giantcraterfilledthefieldofview.
TheshuttlewasfallingtowarditscentralpeaksandsuddenlyFloyd
noticedthatnearoneofthosepeaksabrilliantlightwasflashingwitha
regularrhythm.ItmighthavebeenanairportbeaconbackonEarth,andhe
staredatitwithatighteningofthethroat.Itwasproofthatmenhad
establishedanotherfootholdontheMoon.
Nowthecraterhadexpandedsomuchthatitsrampartswereslippingbelow
thehorizon,andthesmallercraterletsthatpeppereditsinteriorwere
beginningtodisclosetheirrealsize.Someofthese,tinythoughtheyhad
seemedfromfaroutinspace,weremilesacross,andcouldhaveswallowedwhole
cities.
Underitsautomaticcontrols,theshuttlewasslidingdownthestarlitsky,
towardthatbarrenlandscapeglimmeringinthelightofthegreatgibbousEarth.
Nowavoicewascallingsomewhereabovethewhistleofthejetsandthe
electronicbeepingsthatcameandwentthroughthecabin.
"ClaviusControltoSpecial14,youarecominginnicely.Pleasemakemanual
checkoflandinggearlock,hydraulicpressure,shockpadinflation."
Thepilotpressedsundryswitches,greenlightsflashed,andhecalledback,
"Allmanualcheckscompleted.Landinggearlock,hydraulicpressure,shockpad
O.K."
"Confirmed,"saidtheMoon,andthedescentcontinuedwordlessly.Though
therewasstillplentyoftalking,itwasallbeingdonebymachines,flashing
binaryimpulsestooneanotheratathousandtimestheratetheirslowthinking
makerscouldcommunicate.
Someofthemountainpeakswerealreadytoweringabovetheshuttlenowthe
groundwasonlyafewthousandfeetaway,andthebeaconlightwasabrilliant
star,flashingsteadilyaboveagroupoflowbuildingsandoddvehicles.Inthe
finalstageofthedescent,thejetsseemedtobeplayingsomestrangetune
theypulsedonandoff,makingthelastfineadjustmentstothethrust.
Abruptly,aswirlingcloudofdusthideverything,thejetsgaveonefinal

spurt,andtheshuttlerockedveryslightly,likearowboatwhenasmallwave
goesby.ItwassomeminutesbeforeFloydcouldreallyacceptthesilencethat
nowenfoldedhimandtheweakgravitythatgrippedhislimbs.
Hehadmade,utterlywithoutincidentandinlittlemorethanoneday,the
incrediblejourneyofwhichmenhaddreamedfortwothousandyears.Aftera
normalroutineflight,hehadlandedontheMoon.

10ClaviusBase

Clavius,150milesindiameter,isthesecondlargestcrateronthevisible
faceoftheMoon,andliesinthecenteroftheSouthernHighlands.Itisvery
oldagesofvulcanismandbombardmentfromspacehavescarreditswallsand
pockmarkeditsfloor.Butsincethelasteraofcraterformation,whenthe
debrisfromtheasteroidbeltwasstillbatteringtheinnerplanets,ithad
knownpeaceforhalfabillionyears.
Nowtherewerenew,strangestirringsonandbelowitssurface,forhereMan
wasestablishinghisfirstpermanentbridgeheadontheMoon.ClaviusBasecould,
inanemergency,beentirelyselfsupporting.Allthenecessitiesoflifewere
producedfromthelocalrocks,aftertheyhadbeencrushed,heated,and
chemicallyprocessed.Hydrogen,oxygencarbon,nitrogen,phosphorusall
these,andmostoftheotherelements,couldbefoundinsidetheMoon,ifone
knewwheretolookforthem.TheBasewasaclosedsystem,likeatinyworking
modelofEarthitself,recyclingallthechemicalsoflife.Theatmospherewas
purifiedinavast"hothouse"alarge,circularroomburiedjustbelowthe
lunarsurface.Underblazinglampsbynight,andfilteredsunlightbyday,acres
ofstubbygreenplantsgrewinawarm,moistatmosphere.Theywerespecial
mutations,designedfortheexpresspurposeofreplenishingtheairwithoxygen,
andprovidingfoodasabyproduct.Morefoodwasproducedbychemical
processingsystemsandalgaeculture.Althoughthegreenscumcirculating
throughyardsoftransparentplastictubeswouldscarcelyhaveappealedtoa
gourmet,thebiochemistscouldconvertitintochopsandsteaksonlyanexpert
coulddistinguishfromtherealthing.
Theelevenhundredmenandsixhundredwomenwhomadeupthepersonnelof
theBasewereallhighlytrainedscientistsortechnicians,carefullyselected
beforetheyhadleftEarth.Thoughlunarlivingwasnowvirtuallyfreefromthe
hardships,disadvantages,andoccasionaldangersoftheearlydays,itwasstill
psychologicallydemanding,andnotrecommendedforanyonesufferingfrom
claustrophobia.Sinceitwasexpensiveandtimeconsumingtocutalarge
undergroundbaseoutofsolidrockorcompactedlava,thestandardoneman

"livingmodule"wasaroomonlyaboutsixfeetwide,tenfeetlong,andeight
feethigh.
Eachroomwasattractivelyfurnishedandlookedverymuchlikeagoodmotel
suite,withconvertiblesofa,TV,smallhifiset,andvisionphone.Moreover,
byasimpletrickofinteriordecoration,theoneunbrokenwallcouldbe
convertedbytheflipofaswitchintoaconvincingterrestriallandscape.There
wasachoiceofeightviews.ThistouchofluxurywastypicaloftheBase,
thoughitwassometimeshardtoexplainitsnecessitytothefolkbackonEarth.
EverymanandwomaninClaviushadcostahundredthousanddollarsintraining
andtransportandhousingitwasworthalittleextratomaintaintheirpeace
ofmind.Thiswasnotartforart'ssake,butartforthesakeofsanity.
OneoftheattractionsoflifeinthebaseandontheMoonasawhole
wasundoubtedlythelowgravity,whichproducedasenseofgeneralwellbeing.
However,thishaditsdangers,anditwasseveralweeksbeforeanemigrantfrom
Earthcouldadapttoit.OntheMoon,thehumanbodyhadtolearnawholenew
setofreflexes.Ithad,forthefirsttime,todistinguishbetweenmassand
weight.
AmanwhoweighedonehundredeightypoundsonEarthmightbedelightedto
discoverthatheweighedonlythirtypoundsontheMoon.Aslongashemovedin
astraightlineatauniformspeed,hefeltawonderfulsenseofbuoyancy.But
assoonasheattemptedtochangecourse,toturncorners,ortostopsuddenly
thenhewouldfindthathisfullonehundredeightypoundsofmass,orinertia,
wasstillthere.ForthatwasfixedandunalterablethesameonEarth,Moon,
Sun,orinfreespace.Beforeonecouldbeproperlyadaptedtolunarliving,
therefore,itwasessentialtolearnthatallobjectswerenowsixtimesas
sluggishastheirmereweightwouldsuggest.Itwasalessonusuallydrivenhome
bynumerouscollisionsandhardknocks,andoldlunarhandskepttheirdistance
fromnewcomersuntiltheywereacclimatized.
Withitscomplexofworkshops,offices,storerooms,computercenter,
generators,garage,kitchen,laboratories,andfoodprocessingplant,Clavius
Basewasaminiatureworldinitself.And,ironically,manyoftheskillsthat
hadbeenusedtobuildthisundergroundempirehadbeendevelopedduringthe
halfcenturyoftheColdWar.
Anymanwhohadeverworkedinahardenedmissilesitewouldhavefeltat
homeinClavius.HereontheMoonwerethesameartsandhardwareofunderground
living,andofprotectionagainstahostileenvironmentbutheretheyhadbeen
turnedtothepurposesofpeaee.
Aftertenthousandyears,manhadatlastfoundsomethingasexcitingas
war.Unfortunately,notallnationshadyetrealizedthatfact.

Themountainsthathadbeensoprominentjustbeforelandinghad
mysteriouslydisappeared,hiddenfromsightbelowthesteeplycurvinglunar
horizon.Aroundthespacecraftwasaflat,grayplainbrilliantlylitbythe
slantingearthlight.Althoughtheskywas,ofcourse,completelyblack,onlythe
brighterstarsandplanetscouldbeseen,unlesstheeyeswereshadedfromthe
surfaceglare.
SeveralveryoddvehicleswererollinguptotheArieslBspaceship
cranes,hoists,servicingtruckssomeautomatic,someoperatedbyadriverin
asmallpressurecabin.Mostofthemmovedonballoontires,forthissmooth,
levelplainposednotransportationdifficultiesbutonetankerrolledonthe
peculiarflexwheelswhichhadprovedoneofthebestallpurposewaysof
gettingaroundontheMoon.Aseriesofflatplatesarrangedinacircle,each
plateindependentlymountedandsprung,theflexwheelhadmanyofthe
advantagesofthecaterpillartrackfromwhichithadevolved.Itwouldadapt
itsshapeanddiametertotheterrainoverwhichitwasmoving,and,unlikea
caterpillartrack,wouldcontinuetofunctionevenifafewsectionswere
missing.
Asmallbuswithanextensiontubelikeastubbyelephanttrunkwasnow
nuzzlingaffectionatelyupagainstthespacecraft.Afewsecondslater,there
werebangingsandbumpingsfromoutside,followedbythesoundofhissingairas
connectionsweremadeandpressurewasequalized.Theinnerdooroftheairlock
opened,andthewelcomingdelegationentered.
ItwasledbyRalphHalvorsen,theAdministratoroftheSouthernProvince
whichmeantnotonlytheBasebutalsoanyexploringpartiesthatoperatedfrom
it.
WithhimwashisChiefScientist,Dr.RoyMichaels,agrizzledlittle
geophysicistwhomFloydknewfrompreviousvisits,andhalfadozensenior
scientistsandexecutives.Theygreetedhimwithrespectfulrelieffromthe
Administratordownward,itwasobviousthattheylookedforwardtoachanceof
unloadingsomeoftheirworries.
"Verypleasedtohaveyouwithus,Dr.Floyd,"saidHalvorsen."Didyouhave
agoodtrip?"
"Excellent,"Floydanswered."Itcouldn'thavebeenbetter.Thecrewlooked
aftermeverywell."Heexchangedtheusualsmalltalkthatcourtesydemanded
whilethebusrolledawayfromthespacecraftbyunspokenagreement,noone
mentionedthereasonforhisvisit.Aftertravelingathousandfeetfromthe
landingsite,thebuscametoalargesignwhichread:

WELCOMETOCLAVIUSBASE
U.S.AstronauticalEngineeringCorps
1994

Itthendivedintoacuttingwhichtookitquicklybelowgroundlevel.A
massivedooropenedahead,thenclosedbehindthem.Thishappenedagain,andyet
athirdtime.Whenthelastdoorhadclosed,therewasagreatroaringofair,
andtheywerebackinatmosphereoncemore,intheshirtsleeveenvironmentof
theBase.
Afterashortwalkthroughatunnelpackedwithpipesandcables,and
echoinghollowlywithrhythmicthumpingsandthrobbings,theyarrivedin
executiveterritory,andFloydfoundhimselfbackinthefamiliarenvironmentof
typewriters,officecomputers,girlassistants,wallcharts,andringing
telephones.AstheypausedoutsidethedoorlabeledADMINISTRATOR,Halvorsen
saiddiplomatically:"Dr.FloydandIwillbealongtothebriefingroomina
coupleofminutes."
Theothersnodded,madeagreeablesounds,anddriftedoffdownthecorridor.
ButbeforeHalvorsencouldusherFloydintohisoffice,therewasan
interruption,Thedooropened,andasmallfigurehurleditselfatthe
Administrator.
"Daddy!You'vebeenTopside!Andyoupromisedtotakeme!"
"Now,Diana,"saidHalvorsen,withexasperatedtenderness,"IonlysaidI'd
takeyouifIcould.ButI'vebeenverybusymeetingDr.Floyd.Shakehandswith
him he'sjustcomefromEarth."
ThelittlegirlFloydjudgedthatshewasabouteightextendedalimp
hand.Herfacewasvaguelyfamiliar,andFloydsuddenlybecameawarethatthe
Administratorwaslookingathimwithaquizzicalsmile. Withashockof
recollection,heunderstoodwhy.
"Idon'tbelieveit!"heexclaimed."WhenIwasherelastshewasjusta
baby!"
"Shehadherfourthbirthdaylastweek,"Halvorsenansweredproudly.
"Childrengrowfastinthislowgravity.Buttheydon'tagesoquicklythey'll
livelongerthanwedo."
Floydstaredinfascinationattheselfassuredlittlelady,notingthe

gracefulcarriageandtheunusuallydelicatebonestructure."It'snicetomeet
youagain,Diana,"hesaid.Thensomethingperhapssheercuriosity,perhaps
politenessimpelledhimtoadd:"WouldyouliketogotoEarth?"
Hereyeswidenedwithastonishmentthensheshookherhead.
"It'sanastyplaceyouhurtyourselfwhenyoufalldown.Besides,there
aretoomanypeople,"
Sohere,Floydtoldhimself,isthefirstgenerationoftheSpacebornthere
wouldbemoreofthemintheyearstocome.Thoughtherewassadnessinthis
thought,therewasalsoagreathope.WhenEarthwastamedandtranquil,and
perhapsalittletired,therewouldstillbescopeforthosewholovedfreedom,
forthetoughpioneers,therestlessadventurers.Buttheirtoolswouldnotbe
axandgunandcanoeandwagontheywouldbenuclearpowerplantandplasma
driveandhydroponicfarm.ThetimewasfastapproachingwhenEarth,likeall
mothers,mustsayfarewelltoherchildren.
Withamixtureofthreatsandpromises,Halvorsenmanagedtoevicthis
determinedoffspringandledFloydintotheoffice.TheAdministrator'ssuite
wasonlyaboutfifteenfeetsquare,butitmanagedtocontainallthefittings
andstatussymbolsofthetypical$50,000ayearheadofadepartment.Signed
photographsofimportantpoliticiansincludingthePresidentoftheUnited
StatesandtheSecretaryGeneraloftheUnitedNationsadornedonewall,while
signedphotosofcelebratedastronautscoveredmostofanother.
Floydsankintoacomfortableleatherchairandwasgivenaglassof
"sherry,"courtesyofthelunarbiochemicallabs."How'sitgoing,Ralph?"Floyd
asked,sippingthedrinkwithcaution,thenwithapproval.
"Nottoobad,"Halvorsenreplied."However,thereissomethingyou'dbetter
knowabout,beforeyougointhere."
"Whatisit?'
"Well,Isupposeyoucoulddescribeitasamoraleproblem,"Halvorsen
sighed.
"Oh?"
"Itisn'tseriousyet,butit'sgettingtherefast.""Thenewsblackout,"
Floydsaidflatly."Right,"Halvorsenreplied."Mypeoplearegettingvery
steamedupaboutit.Afterall,mostofthemhavefamiliesbackonEarththey
probablybelievethey'realldeadofmoonplague."
"I'msorryaboutthat,"saidFloyd,"butnoonecouldthinkofabetter

coverstory,andsofarit'sworked.BythewayImetMoisevitchattheSpace
Station,andevenheboughtit."
"Well,thatshouldmakeSecurityhappy."
"Nottoohappyhe'dheardofTMA1rumorsarebeginningtoleakout.But
wejustcan'tissueanystatement,untilweknowwhatthedamnthingisand
whetherourChinesefriendsarebehindit."
"Dr.Michaelsthinkshehastheanswertothat.He'sdyingtotellyou."
Floyddrainedhisglass."AndI'mdyingtohearhim.Let'sgo."

11Anomaly

Thebriefingtookplaceinalargerectangularchamberthatcouldholda
hundredpeoplewithease.Itwasequippedwiththelatestopticalandelectronic
displaysandwouldhavelookedlikeamodelconferenceroombutforthenumerous
posters,pinups,notices,andamateurpaintingswhichindicatedthatitwasalso
thecenterofthelocalculturallife.Floydwasparticularlystruckbya
collectionofsigns,obviouslyassembledwithlovingcare,whichcarriedsuch
messagesasPLEASEKEEPOFFTHEGRASS...NOPARKINGONEVENDAYS...
DEFENSEDE
FUMER...TOTHEBEACH...CATTLECROSSING...SOFTSHOULDERSandDONOT
FEEDTHE
ANIMALS.Iftheseweregenuineastheycertainlyappearedtobetheir
transportationfromEarthhadcostasmallfortune.Therewasatouching
defianceaboutthemonthishostileworld,mencouldstilljokeaboutthe
thingstheyhadbeenforcedtoleavebehind andwhichtheirchildrenwould
nevermiss.
AcrowdoffortyorfiftypeoplewaswaitingforFloyd,andeveryonerose
politelyasheenteredbehindtheAdministrator.Ashenoddedatseveral
familiarfaces,FloydwhisperedtoHalvorsen"I'dliketosayafewwordsbefore
thebriefing."
Floydsatdowninthefrontrow,whiletheAdministratorascendedthe
rostrumandlookedroundhisaudience.
"Ladiesandgentlemen,"Halvorsenbegan,"Ineedn'ttellyouthatthisisa
veryimportantoccasion.WearedelightedtohaveDr.HeywoodFloydwithus.We
allknowhimbyreputation,andmanyofusareacquaintedwithhimpersonally.

HehasjustcompletedaspecialflightfromEarthtobehere,andbeforethe
briefinghehasafewwordsforus.Dr.Floyd,"Floydwalkedtotherostrumamid
asprinklingofpoliteapplause,surveyedtheaudiencewithasmile,andsaid:
"ThankyouIonlywanttosaythis.ThePresidenthasaskedmetoconveyhis
appreciationofyouroutstandingwork,whichwehopetheworldwillsoonbe
abletorecognize.I'mquiteaware,"hecontinuedcarefully,"thatsomeofyou
perhapsmostofyouareanxiousthatthepresentveilofsecrecybewithdrawn
youwouldnotbescientistsifyouthoughtotherwise."Hecaughtaglimpseof
Dr.Michaels,whosefacewascreasedinaslightfrownwhichbroughtoutalong
scardownhisrightcheekpresumablytheaftermathofsomeaccidentinspace.
Thegeologist,hewaswellaware,hadbeenprotestingvigorouslyagainstwhathe
calledthis"copsandrobbersnonsense."
"ButIwouldremindyou,"Floydcontinued,"thatthisisaquite
extraordinarysituation.Wemustbeabsolutelysureofourownfactsifwemake
errorsnow,theremaybenosecondchancesopleasebepatientalittle
longer.ThosearealsothewishesofthePresident.
"That'sallIhavetosay.NowI'mreadyforyourreport."
HewalkedbacktohisseattheAdministratorsaid,'Thankyouverymuch,
Dr.Floyd,"andnodded,ratherbrusquely,tohisChiefScientist.Oncue,Dr.
Michaelswalkeduptotherostrum,andthelightsfadedout.
AphotographoftheMoonflashedontothescreen.Attheverycenterofthe
diskwasabrilliantwhitecraterring,fromwhichastrikingpatternofrays
fannedout.Itlookedexactlyasifsomeonehadhurledabagofflouratthe
faceoftheMoon,andithadspatteredoutinalldirections.
"ThisisTycho,"saidMichaels,pointingtothecentralcrater."Onthis
verticalphotographTychoisevenmoreconspicuousthanwhenseenfromEarth
thenit'sratherneartheedgeoftheMoon.Butobservedfromthisviewpoint
lookingstraightdownfromathousandmilesupyou'llseehowitdominatesan
entirehemisphere."
HeletFloydabsorbthisunfamiliarviewofafamiliarobject,then
continued:"Duringthepastyearwehavebeenconductingamagneticsurveyof
theregion,fromalowlevelsatellite.Itwascompletedonlylastmonth,and
thisistheresult...themapthatstartedallthetrouble."
Anotherpictureflashedonthescreenitlookedlikeacontourmap,though
itshowedmagneticintensity,notheightsabovesealevel.Forthemostpart,
thelineswereroughlyparallelandspacedwellapartbutinonecornerofthe
maptheybecamesuddenlypackedtogether,toformaseriesofconcentriccircles
likeadrawingofaknotholeinapieceofwood.

Eventoanuntrainedeye,itwasobviousthatsomethingpeculiarhad
happenedtotheMoon'smagneticfieldinthisregionandinlargeletters
acrossthebottomofthemapwerethewords:TYCHOMAGNETICANOMALYONE
(TMAl).
StampedonthetoprightwasCLASSIFIED.
"Atfirstwethoughtitmightbeanoutcropofmagneticrock,butallthe
geologicalevidencewasagainstit.Andnotevenabignickelironmeteorite
couldproduceafieldasintenseasthissowedecidedtohavealook.
"Thefirstpartydiscoverednothingjusttheusuallevelterrain,buried
beneathaverythinlayerofmoondust.Theysankadrillintheexactcenterof
themagneticfieldtogetacoresampleforstudy.Twentyfeetdown,thedrill
stopped.Sothesurveypartystartedtodignotaneasyjobinspacesuits,as
Icanassureyou.
"WhattheyfoundbroughtthembacktoBaseinahurry.Wesentoutabigger
team,withbetterequipment.Theyexcavatedfortwoweekswiththeresultyou
know."
Thedarkenedassemblyroombecamesuddenlyhushedandexpectantasthe
pictureonthescreenchanged.Thougheveryonehadseenitmanytimes,therewas
notapersonwhofailedtocraneforwardasifhopingtofindnewdetails.On
EarthandMoon,lessthanahundredpeoplehadsofarbeenallowedtoseteyes
onthisphotograph.
Itshowedamaninabrightredandyellowspacesuitstandingatthebottom
ofanexcavationandsupportingasurveyor'srodmarkedoffintenthsofa
meter.Itwasobviouslyanightshot,andmighthavebeentakenanywhereonthe
MoonorMars.Butuntilnownoplanethadeverproducedascenelikethis.
Theobjectbeforewhichthespacesuitedmanwasposingwasaverticalslab
ofjetblackmaterial,abouttenfeethighandfivefeetwide:itreminded
Floyd,somewhatominously,ofagianttombstone.Perfectlysharpedgedand
symmetrical,itwassoblackitseemedtohaveswallowedupthelightfalling
uponittherewasnosurfacedetailatall.Itwasimpossibletotellwhether
itwasmadeofstoneormetalorplasticorsomematerialaltogetherunknown
toman.
"TMA1,"Dr.Michaelsdeclared,almostreverently."Itlooksbrandnew,
doesn'tit?Icanhardlyblamethosewhothoughtitwasjustafewyearsold,
andtriedtoconnectitwiththethirdChineseExpedition,backin'98.ButI
neverbelievedthatandnowwe'vebeenabletodateitpositively,fromlocal
geologicalevidence.
"MycolleaguesandI,Dr.Floyd,willstakeourreputationsonthis.TMAl

hasnothingtodowiththeChinese.Indeed,ithasnothingtodowiththehuman
raceforwhenitwasburied,therewerenohumans.
"Yousee,itisapproximatelythreemillionyearsold.Whatyouarenow
lookingatisthefirstevidenceofintelligentlifebeyondtheEarth."

12JourneybyEarthlight

MACROCRATERPROVINCE:ExtendsSfromnearcenterofvisiblefaceofmoon,E
ofCentralCraterProvince.Denselypockedwithimpactcratersmanylarge,and
includingthelargestonmooninNsomecratersfracturedfromimpactforming
MareImbrium.Roughsurfacesalmosteverywhere,exceptforsomecraterbottoms.
Mostsurfacesinslopes,mostly10to12somecraterbottomsnearlylevel.
LANDINGANDMOVEMENT:landinggenerallydifficultbecauseofrough,sloping
surfaceslessdifficultinsomelevelcraterbottoms.Movementpossiblealmost
everywherebutrouteselectionrequiredlessdifficultonsomelevelcrater
bottoms.
CONSTRUCTION:Generallymoderatelydifficultbecauseofslope,andnumerous
largeblocksinloosematerialexcavationoflavadifficultinsomecrater
bottoms.
TYCHO:PostMariacrater,54milesdiameter,rim7,900feetabove
surroundingsbottom12,000feetdeephasthemostprominentraysystemonthe
moon,someraysextendingmorethan500miles.
(Extractfrom"EngineerSpecialStudyoftheSurfaceoftheMoon,"Office,
ChiefofEngineers,DepartmentoftheArmy.U.S.GeologicalSurvey,Washington,
1961.)

Themobilelabnowrollingacrossthecraterplainatfiftymilesanhour
lookedratherlikeanoutsizedtrailermountedoneightflexwheels.Butitwas
verymuchmorethanthisitwasaselfcontainedbaseinwhichtwentymencould
liveandworkforseveralweeks.Indeed,itwasvirtuallyalandgoingspaceship
andinanemergencyitcouldevenfly.Ifitcametoacrevasseorcanyon
whichwastoolargetodetour,andtoosteeptoenter,itcouldhopacrossthe
obstacleonitsfourunderjets.
Ashepeeredoutofthewindow,Floydcouldseestretchingaheadofhima

welldefinedtrail,wheredozensofvehicleshadleftahardpackedbandinthe
friablesurfaceoftheMoon.Atregularintervalsalongthetrackweretall,
slenderrods,eachcarryingaflashinglight.Noonecouldpossiblygetloston
the200milejourneyfromClaviusBasetoTMA1,eventhoughitwasstillnight
andthesunwouldnotriseforseveralhours.
Thestarsoverheadwereonlyalittlebrighter,ormorenumerous,thanona
clearnightfromthehighplateausofNewMexicoorColorado.Butthereweretwo
thingsinthatcoalblackskythatdestroyedanyillusionofEarth.
ThefirstwasEarthitselfablazingbeaconhangingabovethenorthern
horizon.Thelightpouringdownfromthatgianthalfglobewasdozensoftimes
morebrilliantthanthefullmoon,anditcoveredallthislandwithacold,
bluegreenphosphorescence.
Thesecondcelestialapparitionwasafaintt,pearlyconeoflightslanting
uptheeasternsky.Itbecamebrighterandbrightertowardthehorizon,hinting
ofgreatfiresjustconcealedbelowtheedgeoftheMoon.
HerewasapaleglorythatnomanhadeverseenfromEarth,saveduringthe
fewmomentsofatotaleclipse.Itwasthecorona,harbingerofthelunardawn,
givingnoticethatbeforelongthesunwouldsmitethissleepingland.
AshesatwithHalvorsenandMichaelsintheforwardobservationlounge,
immediatelybeneaththedriver'sposition,Floydfoundhisthoughtsturning
againandagaintothethreemillionyearwidegulfthathadjustopenedup
beforehim.Likeallscientificallyliteratemen,hewasusedtoconsideringfar
longerperiodsoftimebuttheyhadconcernedonlythemovementsofstarsand
theslowcyclesoftheinanimateuniverse.Mindorintelligencehadnotbeen
involvedthoseeonswereemptyofallthattouchedtheemotions.
Threemillionyears!Theinfinitelycrowdedpanoramaofwrittenhistory,
withitsempiresanditskings,itstriumphsanditstragedies,coveredbarely
onethousandthofthisappallingspanoftime.NotonlyManhimself,butmostof
theanimalsnowaliveonEarth,didnotevenexistwhenthisblackenigmawasso
carefullyburiedhere,inthemostbrilliantandmostspectacularofallthe
cratersoftheMoon.
Thatithadbeenburied,andquitedeliberately,Dr.Michaelswasabsolutely
sure."Atfirst,"heexplained,"Iratherhopeditmightmarkthesiteofsome
undergroundstructure,butourlatestexcavationshaveeliminatedthat.It's
sittingonawideplatformofthesame
blackmaterial,withundisturbedrockbeneathit.Thecreatureswho
designeditwantedtomakesureitstayedput,barringmajormoonquakes.They
werebuildingforeternity."

Therewastriumph,andyetsadness,inMichaels'voice,andFloydcould
sharebothemotions.Atlast,oneofman'soldestquestionshadbeenanswered
herewastheproof,beyondallshadowofdoubt,thathiswasnottheonly
intelligencethattheuniversehadbroughtforth.Butwiththatknowledgethere
cameagainanachingawarenessoftheimmensityofTime.Whateverhadpassed
thiswayhadmissedmankindbyahundredthousandgenerations.Perhaps,Floyd
toldhimself,itwasjustaswell.Andyetwhatwemighthavelearnedfrom
creatureswhocouldcrossspace,whileourancestorswerestilllivingintrees!
Afewhundredyardsahead,asignpostwascomingupovertheMoon's
strangelyclosehorizon.Atitsbasewasatentshapedstructurecoveredwith
shiningsilverfoil,obviouslyforprotectionagainstthefierceheatofday.As
thebusrolledby,Floydwasabletoreadinthebrilliantearthlight:

EMERGENCYDEPOTNo.3
20KilosLox
10KilosWater
20FoodpaksMk4
1ToolkitTypeB
1SuitRepairOutfit
!TELEPHONE!

"Haveyouthoughtofthat?"askedFloyd,pointingoutofthewindow.
"Supposethething'sasupplycache,leftbehindbyanexpeditionthatnever
returned?"
"It'sapossibility,"admittedMichaels."Thatmagneticfieldcertainly
labeleditsposition,sothatitcouldbeeasilyfound.Butit'srathersmall
itcouldn'tholdmuchinthewayofsupplies."
"Whynot?"interjectedHalvorsen."Whoknowsbowbigtheywere?Perhapsthey
wereonlysixinchestall,whichwouldmakethethingtwentyorthirtystories
high."
Michaelsshookhishead."Outofthequestion,"heprotested."Youcan't

haveverysmall,intelligentcreaturesyouneedaminimumbrainsize."
MichaelsandHalvorsen,Floydhadnoticed,usuallytookopposing
viewpoints,yetthereappearedtobelittlepersonalhostilityorfriction
betweenthem.Theyseemedtorespecteachother,andsimplyagreedtodisagree.
TherewascertainlylittleagreementanywhereaboutthenatureofTMA1
ortheTychoMonolith,assomepreferredtocallit,retainingpartofthe
abbreviation.
InthesixhourssincehehadlandedontheMoon,Floydhadheardadozen
theories,buthadcommittedhimselftonone.Shrine,surveymarker,tomb,
geophysicalinstrumentthesewereperhapsthefavoritesuggestions,andsome
oftheprotagonistsgrewveryheatedintheirdefense.Agoodmanybetshad
alreadybeenplaced,andalotofmoneywouldchangehandswhenthetruthwas
finallyknownif,indeed,iteverwas.Sofar,thehardblackmaterialofthe
slabhadresistedalltherathermildattemptsthatMichaelsandhiscolleagues
hadmadetoobtainsamples.Theyhadnodoubtthatalaserbeamwouldcutinto
itfor,surely,nothingcouldresistthatfrightfulconcentrationofenergy
butthedecisiontoemploysuchviolentmeasureswouldbelefttoFloyd.Hehad
alreadydecidedthatXrays,sonicprobes,neutronbeams,andallother
nondestructivemeansofinvestigationwouldbebroughtintoplaybeforehe
calleduptheheavyartilleryofthelaser.Itwasthemarkofabarbarianto
destroysomethingonecouldnotunderstandbutperhapsmenwerebarbarians,
besidethecreatureswhohadmadethisthing.
Andwherecouldtheyhavecomefrom?TheMoonitself?No,thatwasutterly
impossible.Iftherehadeverbeenindigenouslifeonthisbarrenworld,ithad
beendestroyedduringthelastcraterformingepoch,whenmostofthelunar
surfacewaswhitehot.
Earth?Veryunlikely,thoughperhapsnotquiteimpossible.Anyadvanced
terrestrialcivilizationpresumablyanonhumanonebackinthePleistocene
Erawouldhaveleftmanyothertracesofitsexistence.Wewouldhaveknownall
aboutit,thoughtFloyd,longbeforewegottotheMoon.
Thatlefttwoalternativestheplanets,andthestars.
YetalltheevidencewasagainstintelligentlifeelsewhereintheSolar
System orindeedlifeofanykindexceptonEarthandMars.Theinnerplanets
weretoohot,theouteronesfartoocold,unlessonedescendedintotheir
atmospheretodepthswherethepressuresamountedtohundredsoftonstothe
squareinch.
Soperhapsthesevisitorshadcomefromthestarsyetthatwasevenmore
incredible.Ashelookedupattheconstellationsstrewnacrosstheebonlunar

sky,Floydrememberedhowoftenhisfellowscientistshad"proved"that
interstellartravelwasimpossible.ThejourneyfromEarthtoMoonwasstill
fairlyimpressive,buttheveryneareststarwasahundredmilliontimesmore
distant...Speculationwasawasteoftimehemustwaituntiltherewasmore
evidence,
"Pleasefastenyourseatbeltsandsecurealllooseobjects,"saidthecabin
speakersuddenly."Fortydegreeslopeapproaching."
Twomarkerpostswithwinkinglightshadappearedonthehorizon,andthe
buswassteeringbetweenthem.
Floydhadbarelyadjustedhisstrapswhenthevehicleslowlyedgeditself
overthebrinkofareallyterrifyingincline,andbegantodescendalong,
rubblecoveredslopeassteepastheroofofahouse.Theslantingearthlight,
comingfrombehindthem,nowgaveverylittleillumination,andthebus'sown
floodlightshadbeenswitchedon.ManyyearsagoFloydhadstoodonthelipof
Vesuvius,staringintothecraterhecouldeasilyimaginethathewasnow
drivingdownintoitandthesensationwasnotaverypleasantone.
TheyweredescendingoneoftheinnerterracesofTycho,anditleveledout
againsomethousandfeetbelow.Astheycrawleddowntheslope,Michaelspointed
outacrossthegreatexpanseofplainnowspreadoutbeneaththem.
"Theretheyare,"heexclaimed.Floydnoddedhehadalreadynoticedthe
clusterofredandgreenlightsseveralmilesahead,andkepthiseyesfixed
uponitasthebusedgeditswaydelicatelydowntheslope.Thebigvehiclewas
obviouslyunderperfectcontrol,buthedidnotbreatheeasilyuntilitwasonce
moreonanevenkeel.
Nowhecouldsee,glisteninglikesilverbubblesintheearthlight,agroup
ofpressuredomesthetemporarysheltershousingtheworkersonthesite.Near
thesewasaradiotower,adrillingrig,agroupofparkedvehicles,andalarge
pileofbrokenrock,presumablythematerialthathadbeenexcavatedtoreveal
themonolith.Thistinycampinthewildernesslookedverylonely,very
vulnerabletotheforcesofnaturerangedsilentlyaroundit.Therewasnosign
oflife,andnovisiblehintastowhymenhadcomehere,sofarfrom home.
"Youcanjustseethecrater,"saidMichaels."Overthereontheright
aboutahundredyardsfromthatradioantenna."
Sothisisit,thoughtFloyd,asthebusrolledpastthepressuredomes,and
cametothelipofthecrater.
Hispulsequickenedashecranedforwardforabetterview.Thevehicle
begantocreepcautiouslydownarampofhardpackedrock,intotheinteriorof

thecrater.Andthere,exactlyashehadseenitinthephotographs,wasTMA1.
Floydstared,blinked,shookhishead,andstaredagain.Eveninthe
brilliantearthlight,itwashardtoseetheobjectclearlyhisfirst
impressionwasofaflatrectanglethatmighthavebeencutoutofcarbonpaper
itseemedtohavenothicknessatall.Ofcourse,thiswasanopticalillusion
thoughhewaslookingatasolidbody,itreflectedsolittlelightthathe
couldseeitonlyinsilhouette.
Thepassengerswereutterlysilentasthebusdescendedintothecrater.
Therewasawe,andtherewasalsoincredulitysheerdisbeliefthatthedead
Moon,ofallworlds,couldhavesprungthisfantasticsurprise.
Thebuscametoahaltwithintwentyfeetoftheslabandbroadsideonso
thatallthepassengerscouldexamineit.Yet,beyondthegeometricallyperfect
shapeofthething,therewaslittletosee.Nowherewerethereanymarks,or
anyabatementofitsultimate,ebonblackness.Itwastheverycrystallization
ofnight,andforonemomentFloydwonderedifitcouldindeedbesome
extraordinarynaturalformation,bornofthefiresandpressuresattendingthe
creationoftheMoon.Butthatremotepossibility,heknew,hadalreadybeen
examinedanddismissed.
Atsomesignal,floodlightsaroundthelipofthecraterwereswitchedon,
andthebrightearthlightwasobliteratedbyafarmorebrilliantglare.Inthe
lunarvacuumthebeamswere,ofcourse,completelyinvisibletheyformed
overlappingellipsesofblindingwhite,centeredonthemonolith.Andwherethey
touchedit,itsebonsurfaceseemedtoswallowthem.
Pandora'sbox,thoughtFloyd,withasuddensenseofforebodingwaitingto
beopenedbyinquisitiveMan.
Andwhatwillhefindinside?

13TheSlowDawn

ThemainpressuredomeattheTMA1sitewasonlytwentyfeetacross,and
itsinteriorwasuncomfortablycrowded.Thebus,coupledtoitthroughoneof
thetwoairlocks,gavesomemuchappreciatedextralivingroom.
Insidethishemispherical,doublewalledballoonlived,worked,andslept
thesixscientistsandtechniciansnowpermanentlyattachedtotheproject.It
alsocontainedmostoftheirequipmentandinstruments,allthestoresthat

couldnotbeleftinthevacuumoutside,cooking,washing,andtoilet
facilities,geologicalsamplesandasmallTVscreenthroughwhichthesite
couldbekeptundercontinuoussurveillance.
FloydwasnotsurprisedwhenHalvorsenelectedtoremaininthedomehe
statedhisviewswithadmirablefrankness.
"Iregardspacesuitsasanecessaryevil,"saidtheAdministrator,"Iwear
onefourtimesayear,formyquarterlycheckouttests.Ifyoudon'tmind,I'll
sithereandwatchovertheTV."
Someofthisprejudicewasnowunjustified,forthelatestmodelswere
infinitelymorecomfortablethantheclumsysuitsofarmorwornbythefirst
lunarexplorers.Theycouldbeputoninlessthanaminute,evenwithouthelp,
andwerequiteautomatic.TheMkVintowhichFloydwasnowcarefullysealed
wouldprotecthimfromtheworstthattheMooncoulddo,eitherbydayorby
night.
AccompaniedbyDr.Michaels,hewalkedintothesmallairlock.Asthe
throbbingofthepumpsdiedaway,andhissuitstiffenedalmostimperceptibly
aroundhim,hefelthimselfenclosedinthesilenceofvacuum.
Thatsilencewasbrokenbythewelcomesoundofhissuitradio.
"PressureO.K.,Dr.Floyd?Areyoubreathingnormally?"
"YesI'mfine."
Hiscompanioncarefullycheckedthedialsandgaugesontheoutsideof
Floyd'ssuit.Thenhesaid:
"O.K.let'sgo."
Theouterdooropened,andthedustymoonscapelaybeforethem,glimmering
intheearthlight.
Withacautious,waddlingmovement,FloydfollowedMichaelsthroughthe
lock.Itwasnothardtowalkindeed,inaparadoxicalwaythesuitmadehim
feelmoreathomethanatanytimesincereachingtheMoon.Itsextraweight,
andtheslightresistanceitimposedonhismotion,gavesomeoftheillusionof
thelostterrestrialgravity.
Thescenehadchangedsincethepartyhadarrivedbarelyanhourago.Though
thestars,andthehalfearth,werestillasbrightasever,thefourteenday
lunarnighthadalmostended.Theglowofthecoronawaslikeafalsemoonrise
alongtheeasternskyandthen,withoutwarning,thetipoftheradiomasta

hundredfeetaboveFloyd'sheadsuddenlyseemedtoburstintoflame,asit
caughtthefirstraysofthehiddensun.
Theywaitedwhiletheprojectsupervisorandtwoofhisassistantsemerged
fromtheairlock,thenwalkedslowlytowardthecrater.Bythetimetheyhad
reachedit,athinbowofunbearableincandescencehadthrustitselfabovethe
easternhorizon.Thoughitwouldtakemorethananhourforthesuntoclearthe
edgeoftheslowlyturningmoon,thestarswerealreadybanished.Thecraterwas
stillinshadow,butthefloodlightsmountedarounditsrimlittheinterior
brilliantly.AsFloydwalkedslowlydowntheramptowardtheblackrectangle,he
feltasensenotonlyofawebutofhelplessness.Here,attheveryportalsof
Earth,manwasalreadyfacetofacewithamysterythatmightneverbesolved.
Threemillionyearsago,somethinghadpassedthisway,hadleftthisunknown
andperhapsunknowablesymbolofitspurpose,andhadreturnedtotheplanets
ortothestars.
Floyd'ssuitradiointerruptedhisreverie."Projectsupervisorspeaking.
Ifyou'dalllineuponthisside,we'dliketotakeafewphotos.Dr.Floyd,
willyoustandinthemiddleDr.Michaelsthankyou.NooneexceptFloyd
seemedtothinkthattherewasanythingfunnyaboutthis.Inallhonesty,hehad
toadmitthathewasgladsomeonehadbroughtacameraherewasaphotothat
wouldundoubtedlybehistoric,andhewantedcopiesforhimself.Hehopedthat
hisfacewouldbeclearlyvisiblethroughthehelmetofthesuit.
"Thanks,gentlemen,"saidthephotographer,aftertheyhadposedsomewhat
selfconsciouslyinfrontofthemonolith,andhehadmadeadozenexposures.
"We'llasktheBasePhotoSectiontosendyoucopies."ThenFloydturnedhis
fullattentiontotheebonslabwalkingslowlyaroundit,examiningitfrom
everyangle,tryingtoimprintitsstrangenessuponhismind.
Hedidnotexpecttofindanything,forheknewthateverysquareinchhad
alreadybeengoneoverwithmicroscopiccare.
Nowthesluggishsunhadlifteditselfabovetheedgeofthecrater,andits
rayswerepouringalmostbroadsideupontheeasternfaceoftheblock.Yetit
seemedtoabsorbeveryparticleoflightasifithadneverbeen.
Floyddecidedtotryasimpleexperimenthestoodbetweenthemonolithand
thesun,andlookedforhisownshadowonthesmoothblacksheet.Therewasno
traceofit.Atleasttenkilowattsofrawheatmustbefallingontheslabif
therewasanythinginside,itmustberapidlycooking.
Howstrange,Floydthought,tostandherewhilethisthingisseeing
daylightforthefirsttimesincetheIceAgesbeganonEarth.Hewonderedagain
aboutitsblackcolorthatwasideal,ofcourse,forabsorbingsolarenergy.

Buthedismissedthethoughtatonceforwhowouldbecrazyenoughtoburya
sunpowereddevicetwentyfeetunderground?
HelookedupattheEarth,beginningtowaneinthemorningsky.Onlya
handfulofthesixbillionpeoplethereknewofthisdiscoveryhowwouldthe
worldreacttothenewswhenitwasfinallyreleased?Thepoliticalandsocial
implicationswereimmenseeverypersonofrealintelligenceeveryonewho
lookedaninchbeyondhisnosewouldfindhislife,hisvalues,his
philosophy,subtlychanged.EvenifnothingwhatsoeverwasdiscoveredaboutTMA
1,anditremainedaneternalmystery,Manwouldknowthathewasnotuniquein
theuniverse.Thoughhehadmissedthembymillionsofyears,thosewhohadonce
stoodheremightyetreturn:andifnot,theremightwellbeothers.Allfutures
mustnowcontainthispossibility.
Floydwasstillmusingoverthesethoughtswhenhishelmetspeakersuddenly
emittedapiercingelectronicshriek,likeahideouslyoverloadedanddistorted
timesignal.Involuntarily,hetriedtoblockhisearswithhisspacesuited
handsthenherecoveredandgropedfranticallyforthegaincontrolofhis
receiver.Whilehewasstillfumblingfourmoreoftheshrieksblastedoutof
theetherthentherewasamercifulsilence.
Allaroundthecrater,figureswerestandinginattitudesofparalyzed
astonishment.Soit'snothingwrongwithmygear,Floydtoldhimselfeveryone
heardthosepiercingelectronicscreams.
Afterthreemillionyearsofdarkness,TMA1hadgreetedthelunardawn.

14TheListeners

AhundredmillionmilesbeyondMars,inthecoldlonelinesswherenoman
hadyettraveled,DeepSpaceMonitor79driftedslowlyamongthetangledorbits
oftheasteroids.Forthreeyearsithadfulfilleditsmissionflawlesslya
tributetotheAmericanscientistswhohaddesignedit,theBritishengineers
whohadbuiltit,theRussiantechnicianswhohadlaunchedit.Adelicate
spider'swebofantennassampledthepassingwavesofradionoisethe
ceaselesscrackleandhissofwhatPascal,inafarsimplerage,hadnaively
calledthe"silenceofinfinitespace."Radiationdetectorsnotedandanalyzed
incomingcosmicraysfromthegalaxyandpointsbeyondneutronandXray
telescopeskeptwatchonstrangestarsthatnohumaneyewouldeversee
magnetometersobservedthegustsandhurricanesofthesolarwinds,astheSun
breathedmillionmileanhourblastsoftenuousplasmaintothefacesofits
circlingchildren.Allthesethings,andmanyothers,werepatientlynotedby

DeepSpaceMonitor79,andrecordedinitscrystallinememory.
Oneofitsantennas,bynowunconsideredmiraclesofelectronics,wasalways
aimedatapointneverfarfromtheSun.Everyfewmonthsitsdistanttarget
couldhavebeenseen,hadtherebeenanyeyeheretowatch,asabrightstar
withaclose,faintercompanionbutmostofthetimeitwaslostinthesolar
glaze.
TothatfaroffplanetEarth,everytwentyfourhours,themonitorwould
sendtheinformationithadpatientlygarnered,packedneatlyintoonefive
minutepulse.Aboutaquarterofanhourlate,travelingatthespeedoflight,
thatpulsewouldreachitsdestination.Themachineswhosedutyitwaswouldbe
waitingforittheywouldamplifyandrecordthesignal,andaddittothe
thousandsofmilesofmagnetictapenowstoredinthevaultsoftheWorldSpace
CentersatWashington,Moscow,andCanberra.
Sincethefirstsatelliteshadorbited,almostfiftyyearsearlier,
trillionsandquadrillionsofpulsesofinformationhadbeenpouringdownfrom
space,tobestoredagainstthedaywhentheymightcontributetotheadvanceof
knowledge.Onlyaminutefractionofallthisrawmaterialwouldeverbe
processedbuttherewasnowayoftellingwhatobservationsomescientistmight
wishtoconsult,ten,orfifty,orahundredyearsfromnow.Soeverythinghad
tobekeptonfile,stackedinendlessairconditionedgalleries,triplicatedat
thethreecentersagainstthepossibilityofaccidentalloss.Itwaspartofthe
realtreasureofmankind,morevaluablethanallthegoldlockeduselesslyaway
inbankvaults.
AndnowDeepSpaceMonitor19hadnotedsomethingstrangeafaintyet
unmistakabledisturbanceripplingacrosstheSolarSystem,andquiteunlikeany
naturalphenomenonithadeverobservedinthepast.Automatically,itrecorded
thedirection,thetime,theintensityinafewhoursitwouldpassthe
informationtoEarth.
As,also,wouldOrbiterM15,circlingMarstwiceadayandHigh
InclinationProbe21,climbingslowlyabovetheplaneoftheeclipticandeven
ArtificialComet5,headingoutintothecoldwastesbeyondPluto,alongan
orbitwhosefarpointitwouldnotreachforathousandyears.Allnotedthe
peculiarburstofenergythathaddisturbedtheirinstrumentsall,indue
course,reportedbackautomaticallytothememorystoresondistantEarth.
Thecomputersmightneverhaveperceivedtheconnectionbetweenfour
peculiarsetsofsignalsfromspaceprobesonindependentorbitsmillionsof
milesapart.Butassoonasheglancedathismorningreport,theRadiation
ForecasteratGoddardknewthatsomethingstrangehadpassedthroughtheSolar
Systemduringthelasttwentyfourhours.

Hehadonlypartofitstrack,butwhenthecomputerprojecteditonthe
PlanetSituationBoard,itwasasclearandunmistakableasavaportrailacross
acloudlesssky,orasinglelineoffootprintsoverafieldofvirginsnow.
Someimmaterialpatternofenergy,throwingoffasprayofradiationlike
thewakeofaracingspeedboat,hadleapedfromthefaceoftheMoon,andwas
headingouttowardthestars.

IIIBETWEENPLANETS

15Discovery

TheshipwasstillonlythirtydaysfromEarth,yetDavidBowmansometimes
foundithardtobelievethatbehadeverknownanyotherexistencethanthe
closedlittleworldofDiscovery.Allhisyearsoftraining,allhisearlier
missionstotheMoonandMars,seemedtobelongtoanotherman,inanotherlife.
FrankPooleadmittedtothesamefeelings,andhadsometimesjokingly
regrettedthatthenearestpsychiatristwasthebetterpartofahundredmillion
milesaway.Butthissenseofisolationandestrangementwaseasyenoughto
understand,andcertainlyindicatednoabnormality.Inthefiftyyearssincemen
hadventuredintospace,therehadneverbeenamissionquitelikethis.
Ithadbegun,fiveyearsago,asProjectJupiterthefirstmannedround
triptothegreatestoftheplanets.Theshipwasnearlyreadyforthetwoyear
voyagewhen,somewhatabruptly,themissionprofilehadbeenchanged.
DiscoverywouldstillgotoJupiterbutshewouldnotstopthere.Shewould
notevenslackenspeedassheracedthroughthefarrangingJoviansatellite
system.Onthecontraryshewouldusethegravitationalfieldofthegiant
worldusaslingtocastherevenfartherfromtheSun.Likeacomet,shewould
streakonacrosstheouterreachesofthesolarsystemtoherultimategoal,the
ringedgloryofSaturn.Andshewouldneverreturn.
ForDiscovery,itwouldbeaonewaytripyethercrewhadnointentionof
committingsuicide.Ifallwentwell,theywouldbebackonEarthwithinseven
yearsfiveofwhichwouldpasslikeaflashinthedreamlesssleepof
hibernation,whiletheyawaitedrescuebythestillunbuiltDiscoveryII.
Theword"rescue"wascarefullyavoidedinalltheAstronauticsAgency's

statementsanddocumentsitimpliedsomefailureofplanning,andtheapproved
jargonwas"reacquisition."Ifanythingwentreallywrong,therewould
certainlybenohopeofrescue,almostabillionmilesfromEarth.
Itwasacalculatedrisk,likeallvoyagesintotheunknown.Buthalfa
centuryofresearchhadprovedthatartificiallyinducedhumanhibernationwas
perfectlysafe,andithadopenedupnewpossibilitiesinspacetravel.Not
untilthismission,however,hadtheybeenexploitedtotheutmost.
Thethreemembersofthesurveyteam,whowouldnotbeneededuntiltheship
enteredherfinalorbitaroundSaturn,wouldsleepthroughtheentireoutward
flight.Tonsoffoodandotherexpendableswouldthusbesavedalmostas
important,theteamwouldbefreshandalert,andnotfatiguedbythetenmonth
voyage,whentheywentintoaction.
DiscoverywouldenteraparkingorbitaroundSaturn,becominganewmoonof
thegiantplanet.Shewouldswingbackandforthalongatwomillionmile
ellipsethattookherclosetoSaturn,andthenacrosstheorbitsofallits
majormoons.Theywouldhaveahundreddaysinwhichtomapandstudyaworld
witheightytimestheareaofEarth,andsurroundedbyaretinueofatleast
fifteenknownsatellitesoneofthemaslargeastheplanetMercury.
Theremustbewondersenoughhereforcenturiesofstudythefirst
expeditioncouldonlycarryoutapreliminaryreconnaissance.Allthatitfound
wouldberadioedbacktoEartheveniftheexplorersneverreturned,their
discoverieswouldnotbelost.
Attheendofthehundreddays,Discoverywouldclosedown.Allthecrew
wouldgointohibernationonlytheessentialsystemswouldcontinuetooperate,
watchedoverbytheship'stirelesselectronicbrain.Shewouldcontinueto
swingaroundSaturn,onanorbitnowsowelldeterminedthatmenwouldknow
exactlywheretolookforherathousandyearshence.Butinonlyfiveyears,
accordingtopresentplans,DiscoveryIIwouldcome.Evenifsixorsevenor
eightyearselapsed,hersleepingpassengerswouldneverknowthedifference.
Forallofthem,theclockwouldhavestoppedasithadstoppedalreadyfor
Whitehead,Kaminski,andHunter.
SometimesBowman,asFirstCaptainofDiscovery,enviedhisthree
unconsciouscolleaguesinthefrozenpeaceoftheHibernaculum.Theywerefree
fromallboredomandallresponsibilityuntiltheyreachedSaturn,theexternal
worlddidnotexist.
Butthatworldwaswatchingthem,throughtheirbiosensordisplays.Tucked
inconspicuouslyawayamongthemassedinstrumentationoftheControlDeckwere
fivesmallpanelsmarkedHunter,Whitehead,Kaminski,Poole,Bowman.Thelast
twowereblankandlifelesstheirtimewouldnotcomeuntilayearfromnow.

Theothersboreconstellationsoftinygreenlights,announcingthateverything
waswellandoneachwasasmalldisplayscreenacrosswhichsetsofglowing
linestracedtheleisurelyrhythmsthatindicatedpulse,respiration,andbrain
activity.
ThereweretimeswhenBowman,wellawarehowunnecessarythiswasforthe
alarmwouldsoundinstantlyifanythingwaswrongwouldswitchovertoaudio
output.Hewouldlisten,halfhypnotized,totheinfinitelyslowheartbeatsof
hissleepingcolleagues,keepinghiseyesfixedonthesluggishwavesthat
marchedinsynchronismacrossthescreen.
MostfascinatingofallweretheEEGdisplaystheelectronicsignaturesof
threepersonalitiesthathadonceexisted,andwouldonedayexistagain.They
werealmostfreefromthespikesandvalleys,theelectricalexplosionsthat
markedtheactivityofthewakingbrainorevenofthebraininnormalsleep.
Iftherewasanywispofconsciousnessremaining,itwasbeyondthereachof
instruments,andofmemory.
ThislastfactBowmanknewfrompersonalexperience.Beforehewaschosen
forthismission,hisreactionstohibernationhadbeentested.Hewasnotsure
whetherhehadlostaweekofhislifeorwhetherhehadpostponedhis
eventualdeathbythesameamountoftime.
Whentheelectrodeshadbeenattachedtohisforehead,andthesleep
generatorhadstartedtopulse,hehadseenabriefdisplayofkaleidoscopic
patternsanddriftingstars.Thentheyhadfaded,anddarknesshadengulfedhim.
Hehadneverfelttheinjections,stilllessthefirsttouchofcoldashisbody
temperaturewasreducedtoonlyafewdegreesabovefreezing.

Heawoke,anditseemedthathehadscarcelyclosedhiseyes.Butheknew
thatwasanillusionsomehow,hewasconvincedthatyearshadreallypassed.
Hadthemissionbeencompleted?HadtheyalreadyreachedSaturn,carriedout
theirsurvey,andgoneintohibernation?WasDiscoveryIIhere,totakethem
backtoEarth?
Helayinadreamlikehaze,utterlyunabletodistinguishbetweenrealand
falsememories.Heopenedhiseyes,buttherewaslittletoseeexceptablurred
constellationoflightswhichpuzzledhimforsomeminutes.
ThenherealizedthathewaslookingattheindicatorlampsonaShip
SituationBoard,butitwasimpossibletofocusonthem.Hesoongaveupthe
attempt.

Warmairwasblowingacrosshim,removingthechillfromhislimbs.There
wasquiet,butstimulating,musicwellingfromaspeakerbehindhishead.Itwas
slowlygrowinglouderandlouder.
Thenarelaxed,friendlybutheknewcomputergeneratedvoicespoketo
him.
"Youarebecomingoperational,Dave.Donotgetuporattemptanyviolent
movements.Donottrytospeak."
Donotgetup!thoughtBowman.Thatwasfunny.Hedoubtedifhecould
wriggleafinger.Rathertohissurprise,hefoundthathecould.
Hefeltquitecontented,inadazed,stupidkindofway.Heknewdimlythat
therescueshipmusthavecome,thattheautomaticrevivalsequencehadbeen
triggered,andthatsoonhewouldbeseeingotherhumanbeings.Thatwasfine,
buthedidnotgetexcitedaboutit.
Presentlyhefelthunger.Thecomputer,ofcourse,hadanticipatedthis
need.
"Thereisasignalbuttonbyyourrighthand,Dave.
Ifyouarehungry,pleasepressit."
Bowmanforcedhisfingerstohuntaround,andpresentlydiscoveredthepear
shapedbulb.Hehadforgottenallaboutit,thoughhemusthaveknownitwas
there.Howmuchelsehadheforgotten:Didhibernationerasememory?
Hepressedthebutton,andwaited.Severalminuteslater,ametalarmmoved
outfromthebunk,andaplasticnippledescendedtowardhislips.Hesuckedon
iteagerly,andawarm,sweetfluidcourseddownhisthroat,briningrenewed
strengthwitheverydrop.
Presentlyitwentaway,andherestedoncemore.Hecouldmovehisarmsand
legsnowthethoughtofwalkingwasnolongeranimpossibledream.
Thoughhefelthisstrengthswiftlyreturning,hewouldhavebeencontentto
liehereforever,iftherehadbeennofurtherstimulusfromoutside.But
presentlyanothervoicespoketohim andthistimeitwaswhollyhuman,nota
constructofelectricalpulsesassembledbyamorethanhumanmemory.Itwas
alsoafamiliarvoice,thoughitwassometimebeforehecouldrecognizeit
"Hello,Dave.You'recomingroundfine.Youcantalknow.Doyouknowwhere
youare?"

Heworriedaboutthisforsometime.IfhewasreallyorbitingSaturn,what
hadhappenedduringallthemonthssincehehadleftEarth?Againhebeganto
wonderifhewassufferingfromamnesia,Paradoxically,thatverythought
reassuredhim,ifhecouldremembertheword"amnesia"hisbrainmustbein
fairlygoodshape.
Buthestilldidnotknowwherehewas,andthespeakerattheotherendof
thecircuitmusthaveunderstoodhissituationcompletely.
"Don'tworry,Dave.ThisisFrankPoole.I'mwatchingyourheartand
respirationeverythingisperfectlynormal.Justrelaxtakeiteasy.We're
goingtoopenthedoornowandpullyouout."
Softlightfloodedintothechamberhesawmovingshapessilhouetted
againstthewideningentrance.Andinthatmoment,allhismemoriescamebackto
him,andbeknewexactlywherehewas.
Thoughhehadcomebacksafelyfromthefurthestbordersofsleep,andthe
nearestbordersofdeath,hehadbeengoneonlyaweek.Whenheleftthe
Hibernaculum,hewouldnotseethecoldSaturnianskythatwasmorethanayear
inthefutureandabillionmilesaway.
HewasstillinthetrainerattheHoustonSpaceFlightCenterunderthehot
Texassun.

16Hal

ButnowTexaswasinvisible,andeventheUnitedStateswashardtosee.
Thoughthelowthrustplasmadrivehadlongsincebeencloseddown,Discovery
wasstillcoastingwithherslenderarrowlikebodypointedawayfromEarth,and
allherhighpoweredopticalgearwasorientedtowardtheouterplanets,where
herdestinylay.
Therewasonetelescope,however,thatwaspermanentlyaimedatEarth.It
wasmountedlikeagunsightontherimoftheship'slongrangeantenna,and
checkedthatthegreatparabolicbowlwasrigidlylockeduponitsdistant
target.WhileEarthremainedcenteredinthecrosswires,thevitalcommunication
linkwasintact,andmessagescouldcomeandgoalongtheinvisiblebeamthat
lengthenedmorethantwomillionmileswitheverydaythatpassed.
AtleastonceineverywatchperiodBowmanwouldlockhomewardthroughthe
antennaalignmenttelescope.AsEarthwasnowfarbacktowardthesun,its

darkenedhemispherefacedDiscovery,andonthecentraldisplayscreenthe
planetappearedasadazzlingsilvercrescent,likeanotherVenus.
Itwasrarethatanygeographicalfeaturescouldbeidentifiedinthatever
shrinkingarcoflight,forcloudandhazeconcealedthem,buteventhedarkened
portionofthediskwasendlesslyfascinating.Itwassprinkledwithshining
citiessometimestheyburnedwithasteadylight,sometimestheytwinkledlike
firefliesasatmospherictremorspassedoverthem.
Therewerealsoperiodswhen,astheMoonswungbackandforthinitsorbit,
itshonedownlikeagreatlampuponthedarkenedseasandcontinentsofEarth.
Then,withathrillofrecognition,Bowmancouldoftenglimpsefamiliar
coastlines,shininginthatspectrallunarlight.Andsometimes,whenthe
Pacificwascalm,hecouldevenseethemoonglowshimmeringacrossitsfaceand
hewouldremembernightsbeneaththepalmtreesoftropicallagoons.
Yethehadnoregretsfortheselostbeauties.Hehadenjoyedthemall,in
histhirtyfiveyearsoflifeandhewasdeterminedtoenjoythemagain,when
hereturnedrichandfamous.Meanwhile,distancemadethemallthemore
precious.
Thesixthmemberofthecrewcaredfornoneofthesethings,foritwasnot
human.ItwasthehighlyadvancedHAL9000computer,thebrainandnervous
systemoftheship.
Hal(forHeuristicallyprogrammedALgorithmiccomputer,noless)wasa
masterworkofthethirdcomputerbreakthrough.Theseseemedtooccurat
intervalsoftwentyyears,andthethoughtthatanotheronewasnowimminent
alreadyworriedagreatmanypeople.
Thefirsthadbeeninthe1940s,whenthelongobsoletevacuumtubehadmade
possiblesuchclumsy,highspeedmoronsasENIACanditssuccessors.Then,in
the1960s,solidstatemicroelectronicshadbeenperfected.Withitsadvent,it
wasclearthatartificialintelligencesatleastaspowerfulasMan'sneedbeno
largerthanofficedesksifoneonlyknewhowtoconstructthem.
Probablynoonewouldeverknowthisitdidnotmatter.Inthe1980s,
MinskyandGoodhadshownhowneuralnetworkscouldbegeneratedautomatically
selfreplicatedinaccordancewithanyarbitrarylearningprogram.Artificial
brainscouldbegrownbyaprocessstrikinglyanalogoustothedevelopmentofa
humanbrain.Inanygivencase,theprecisedetailswouldneverbeknown,and
eveniftheywere,theywouldbemillionsoftimestoocomplexforhuman
understanding.Whateverwayitworked,thefinalresultwasamachine
intelligencethatcouldreproducesomephilosophersstillpreferredtousethe
word"mimic"mostoftheactivitiesofthehumanbrainandwithfargreater

speedandreliability.Itwasextremelyexpensive,andonlyafewunitsofthe
HAL9000serieshadyetbeenbuiltbuttheoldjestthatitwouldalwaysbe
easiertomakeorganicbrainsbyunskilledlaborwasbeginningtosoundalittle
hollow.
Halhadbeentrainedforthismissionasthoroughlyashishumancolleagues
andatmanytimestheirrateofinput,forinadditiontohisintrinsicspeed,
heneverslept.Hisprimetaskwastomonitorthelifesupportsystems,
continuallycheckingoxygenpressure,temperature,hullleakage,radiation,and
alltheotherinterlockingfactorsuponwhichthelivesofthefragilehuman
cargodepended.Hecouldcarryouttheintricatenavigationalcorrections,and
executethenecessaryflightmaneuverswhenitwastimetochangecourse.Andhe
couldwatchoverthehibernators,makinganynecessaryadjustmentstotheir
environmentanddolingouttheminutequantitiesofintravenousfluidsthatkept
themalive.
Thefirstgenerationsofcomputershadreceivedtheirinputsthrough
glorifiedtypewriterkeyboards,andhadrepliedthroughhighspeedprintersand
visualdisplays.Halcoulddothiswhennecessary,butmostofhiscommunication
withhisshipmateswasbymeansofthespokenword.PooleandBowmancouldtalk
toHalasifhewereahumanbeingandhewouldreplyintheperfectidiomatic
Englishhehadlearnedduringthefleetingweeksofhiselectronicchildhood.
WhetherHalcouldactuallythinkwasaquestionwhichhadbeensettledby
theBritishmathematicianAlanTuringbackinthe1940s.Turinghadpointedout
that,ifonecouldcarryoutaprolongedconversationwithamachinewhether
bytypewriterormicrophonewasimmaterial withoutbeingabletodistinguish
betweenitsrepliesandthosethatamanmightgive,thenthemachinewas
thinking,byanysensibledefinitionoftheword.HalcouldpasstheTuringtest
withease.
ThetimemightevencomewhenHalwouldtakecommandoftheship.Inan
emergency,ifnooneansweredhissignals,hewouldattempttowakethesleeping
membersofthecrew,byelectricalandchemicalstimulation.Iftheydidnot
respond,hewouldradioEarthforfurtherorders.
Andthen,iftherewasnoreplyfromEarth,hewouldtakewhatmeasureshe
deemednecessarytosafeguardtheshipandtocontinuethemissionwhosereal
purposehealoneknew,andwhichhishumancolleaguescouldneverhaveguessed.
PooleandBowmanhadoftenhumorouslyreferredtothemselvesascaretakers
orjanitorsaboardashipthatcouldreallyrunitself.Theywouldhavebeen
astonished,andmorethanalittleindignant,todiscoverhowmuchtruththat
jestcontained.

17CruiseMode

Thedaybydayrunningoftheshiphadbeenplannedwithgreatcare,and
theoreticallyatleastBowmanandPooleknewwhattheywouldbedoingatevery
momentofthetwentyfourhours.Theyoperatedonatwelvehourson,twelve
hoursoffbasis,takingchargealternately,andneverbeingbothasleepatthe
sametime.TheofficerondutyremainedontheControlDeck,whilehisdeputy
sawtothegeneralhousekeeping,inspectedtheship,copedwiththeoddjobs
thatconstantlyarose,orrelaxedinhiscubicle.
AlthoughBowmanwasnominalCaptainonthisphaseofthemission,nooutside
observercouldhavededucedthefact.HeandPooleswitchedroles,rank,and
responsibilitiescompletelyeverytwelvehours.Thiskeptthembothatpeak
training,minimizedthechancesoffriction,andhelpedtowardthegoalof100
percentredundancy.
Bowman'sdaybeganat0600,ship'stimetheUniversalEphemerisTimeof
theastronomers.Ifhewaslate,Halhadavarietyofbeepsandchimestoremind
himofhisduty,buttheyhadneverbeenused.Asatest,Poolehadonce
switchedoffthealarmBowmanhadstillrisenautomaticallyattherighttime.
HisfirstofficialactofthedaywouldbetoadvancetheMasterHibernation
Timertwelvehours.Ifthisoperationwasmissedtwiceinarow,Halwould
assumethatbothheandPoolehadbeenincapacitated,andwouldtakethe
necessaryemergencyaction.
Bowmanwouldattendtohistoilet,anddohisisometricexercises,before
settlingdowntobreakfastandthemorning'sradiofaxeditionoftheWorld
Times.OnEarth,heneverreadthepaperascarefullyashedidnoweventhe
smallestitemsofsocietygossip,themostfleetingpoliticalrumors,seemedof
absorbinginterestasitflashedacrossthescreen.
At0700hewouldofficiallyrelievePooleontheControlDeck,bringinghim
asqueezetubeofcoffeefromthekitchen.Ifaswasusuallythecasethere
wasnothingtoreportandnoactiontobetaken,hewouldsettledowntocheck
alltheinstrumentreadings,andwouldrunthroughaseriesoftestsdesignedto
spotpossiblemalfunctions.By1000thiswouldbefinished,andhewouldstart
onastudyperiod.
Bowmanhadbeenastudentformorethanhalfhislifehewouldcontinueto
beoneuntilheretired.Thankstothetwentiethcenturyrevolutionintraining
andinformationhandlingtechniques,healreadypossessedtheequivalentoftwo
orthreecollegeeducationsand,whatwasmore,hecouldremember90percent

ofwhathehadlearned.
Fiftyyearsago,hewouldhavebeenconsideredaspecialistinapplied
astronomy,cybernetics,andspacepropulsionsystemsyethewaspronetodeny,
withgenuineindignation,thathewasaspecialistatall.Bowmanhadnever
founditpossibletofocushisinterestexclusivelyonanysubjectdespitethe
darkwarningsofhisinstructors,hehadinsistedontakinghisMaster'sdegree
inGeneralAstronauticsacoursewithavagueandwoollysyllabus,designed
forthosewhoseIQswereinthelow130sandwhowouldneverreachthetopranks
oftheirprofession.
Hisdecisionhadbeenrightthatveryrefusaltospecializehadmadehim
uniquelyqualifiedforhispresenttask.InmuchthesamewayFrankPoolewho
sometimesdisparaginglycalledhimself"GeneralPractitionerinspacebiology"
hadbeenanidealchoiceashisdeputy.Thetwoofthem,with,ifnecessary,
helpfromHal'svaststoresofinformation,couldcopewithanyproblemslikely
toariseduringthevoyageaslongastheykepttheirmindsalertand
receptive,andcontinuallyreengravedoldpatternsofmemory.
Sofortwohours,from1000to1200,Bowmanwouldengageinadialoguewith
anelectronictutor,checkinghisgeneralknowledgeorabsorbingmaterial
specifictothismission.Hewouldprowlendlesslyovership'splans,circuit
diagrams,andvoyageprofiles,orwouldtrytoassimilateallthatwasknown
aboutJupiter,Saturn,andtheirfarrangingfamiliesofmoons.
Atmidday,hewouldretiretothegalleyandleavetheshiptoHalwhilehe
preparedhislunch.Evenhere,hewasstillfullyintouchwithevents,forthe
tinyloungecumdiningroomcontainedaduplicateoftheSituationDisplay
Panel,andHalcouldcallhimatamoment'snotice.Poolewouldjoinhimfor
thismeal,beforeretiringforhissixhoursleepperiod,andusuallytheywould
watchoneoftheregularTVprogramsbeamedtothemfromEarth.
Theirmenushadbeenplannedwithasmuchcareasanypartofthemission,
Thefood,mostofitfreezedried,wasuniformlyexcellent,andhadbeenchosen
fortheminimumoftroublePacketshadmerelytobeopenedandpoppedintothe
tinyautogalley,whichbeepedforattentionwhenthejobwasdone.Theycould
enjoywhattastedlikeand,equallyimportant,lookedlikeorangejuice,
eggs(anystyle),steaks,chops,roasts,freshvegetables,assortedfruits,ice
cream,andevenfreshlybakedbread.
Afterlunch,from1300to1600Bowmanwouldmakeaslowandcarefultourof
theshiporsuchpartofitaswasaccessible.Discoverymeasuredalmostfour
hundredfeetfromendtoend,butthelittleuniverseoccupiedbyhercrewlay
entirelyinsidethefortyfootsphereofthepressurehull.
Herewereallthelifesupportsystems,andtheControlDeckwhichwasthe

operationalheartoftheship.Belowthiswasasmall"spacegarage"fittedwith
threeairlocks,throughwhichpoweredcapsules,justlargeenoughtoholdaman,
couldsailoutintothevoidiftheneedaroseforextravehicularactivity.
Theequatorialregionofthepressurespheretheslice,asitwere,from
CapricorntoCancerenclosedaslowlyrotatingdrum,thirtyfivefeetin
diameter.Asitmadeonerevolutioneverytenseconds,thiscarrouselor
centrifugeproducedanartificialgravityequaltothatoftheMoon.Thiswas
enoughtopreventthephysicalatrophywhichwouldresultfromthecomplete
absenceofweight,anditalsoallowedtheroutinefunctionsoflivingtobe
carriedoutundernormalornearlynormalconditions.
Thecarrouselthereforecontainedthekitchen,dining,washing,andtoilet
facilities.Onlyherewasitsafetoprepareandhandlehotdrinksquite
dangerousinweightlessconditions,whereonecanbebadlyscaldedbyfloating
globulesofboilingwater.Theproblemofshavingwasalsosolvedtherewould
benoweightlessbristlesdriftingaroundtoendangerelectricalequipmentand
produceahealthhazard.
Aroundtherimofthecarrouselwerefivetinycubicles,fittedoutbyeach
astronautaccordingtotasteandcontaininghispersonalbelongings.Only
Bowman'sandPoole'swerenowinuse,whilethefutureoccupantsoftheother
threecabinsreposedintheirelectronicsarcophaginextdoor.
Thespinofthecarrouselcouldbestoppedifnecessarywhenthishappened,
itsangularmomentumhadtobestoredinaflywheel,andswitchedbackagain
whenrotationwasrestarted.Butnormallyitwasleftrunningatconstantspeed,
foritwaseasyenoughtoenterthebig,slowlyturningdrumbygoinghandover
handalongapolethroughthezerogeeregionatitscenter.Transferringtothe
movingsectionwasaseasyandautomatic,afteralittleexperience,asstepping
ontoamovingescalator.
Thesphericalpressurehullformedtheheadofaflimsy,arrowshaped
structuremorethanahundredyardslong.Discovery,likeallvehiclesintended
fordeepspacepenetration,wastoofragileandunstreamlinedevertoenteran
atmosphere,ortodefythefullgravitationalfieldofanyplanet.Shehadbeen
assembledinorbitaroundtheEarth,testedonatranslunarmaidenflight,and
finallycheckedoutinorbitabovetheMoon.
Shewasacreatureofpurespaceandshelookedit.Immediatelybehindthe
pressurehullwasgroupedaclusteroffourlargeliquidhydrogentanksand
beyondthem,formingalong,slenderV,weretheradiatingfinsthatdissipated
thewasteheatofthenuclearreactor.Veinedwithadelicatetraceryofpipes
forthecoolingfluid,theylookedlikethewingsofsomevastdragonfly,and
fromcertainanglesgaveDiscoveryafleetingresemblancetoanoldtimesailing
ship,

AttheveryendoftheV,threehundredfeetfromthecrewcompartment,was
theshieldedinfernoofthereactor,andthecomplexoffocusingelectrodes
throughwhichemergedtheincandescentstarstuffoftheplasmadrive.Thishad
doneitsworkweeksago,forcingDiscoveryoutofherparkingorbitroundthe
Moon.Nowthereactorwasmerelytickingoverasitgeneratedelectricalpower
fortheship'sservices,andthegreatradiatingfins,thatwouldglowcherry
redwhenDiscoverywasacceleratingundermaximumthrust,weredarkandcool.
Althoughitwouldrequireanexcursionoutintospacetoexaminethisregion
oftheship,therewereinstrumentsandremoteTVcameraswhichgaveafull
reportonconditionshere.Bowmannowfeltthatheknewintimatelyeverysquare
footofradiator,panels,andeverypieceofplumbingassociatedwiththem.
By1600,hewouldhavefinishedhisinspection,andwouldmakeadetailed
verbalreporttoMissionControl,talkinguntiltheacknowledgmentstartedto
comein.Thenhewouldswitchoffhisowntransmitter,listentowhatEarthhad
tosay,andsendbackhisreplytoanyqueries.At1800hours,Poolewould
awaken,andhewouldhandovercommand.
Hewouldthenhavesixoffdutyhours,touseashepleased.Sometimeshe
wouldcontinuehisstudies,orlistentomusic,orlookatmovies.Muchofthe
timehewouldwanderatwillthroughtheship'sinexhaustibleelectronic
library.Hehadbecomefascinatedbythegreatexplorationsofthepast
understandablyenough,inthecircumstances.Sometimeshewouldcruisewith
PytheasoutthroughthePillarsofHercules,alongthecoastofaEuropebarely
emergingfromtheStoneAge,andventurealmosttothechillmistsofthe
Arctic.Or,twothousandyearslater,hewouldpursuetheManilagalleonswith
Anson,sailwithCookalongtheunknownhazardsoftheGreatBarrierReef,
achievewithMagellanthefirstcircumnavigationoftheworld.Andhebeganto
readtheOdyssey,whichofallbooksspoketohimmostvividlyacrossthegulfs
oftime.
ForrelaxationhecouldalwaysengageHalinalargenumberofsemi
mathematicalgames,includingcheckers,chess,andpolyominoes.IfHalwentall
out,hecouldwinanyoneofthembutthatwouldbebadformorale.Sohehad
beenprogrammedtowinonlyfiftypercentofthetime,andhishumanpartners
pretendednottoknowthis.
ThelasthoursofBowman'sdayweredevotedtogeneralcleaningupandodd
jobs,followedbydinnerat2000againwithPoole.Thentherewouldbeanhour
duringwhichhewouldmakeorreceiveanypersonalcallfromEarth.
Likeallhiscolleagues,Bowmanwasunmarrieditwasnotfairtosend
familymenonamissionofsuchduration,thoughnumerousladieshadpromisedto
waituntiltheexpeditionreturned,noonehadreallybelievedthis.Atfirst,

bothPooleandBowmanhadbeenmakingratherintimatepersonalcallsoncea
week,thoughtheknowledgethatmanyearsmustbelisteningattheEarthendof
thecircuittendedtoinhibitthem.Yetalready,thoughthevoyagewasscarcely
started,thewarmthandfrequencyoftheconversationswiththeirgirlsonEarth
hadbeguntodiminish.Theyhadexpectedthisitwasoneofthepenaltiesofan
astronaut'swayoflife,asithadoncebeenofamariner's.
Itwastrueindeed,notoriousthatseamenhadcompensationsatother
portsunfortunatelytherewerenotropicalislandsfullofduskymaidsbeyond
theorbitofEarth.Thespacemedics,ofcourse,hadtackledthisproblemwith
theirusualenthusiasmtheship'spharmacopoeiaprovidedadequate,though
hardlyglamorous,substitutes.
JustbeforehesignedoffBowmanwouldmakehisfinalreport,andcheckthat
Halhadtransmittedalltheinstrumentationtapesfortheday'srun.Then,ifhe
feltlikeit,hewouldspendacoupleofhourseitherreadingorlookingata
movieandatmidnighthewouldgotosleepusuallywithoutanyhelpfrom
electronarcosis.Poole'sprogramwasamirrorimageofhisown,andthetwo
schedulesdovetailedtogetherwithoutfriction.
Bothmenwerefullyoccupied,theyweretoointelligentandwelladjustedto
quarrel,andthevoyagehadsettleddowntoacomfortable,utterlyuneventful
routine,thepassageoftimemarkedonlybythechangingnumbersonthedigital
clocks.
ThegreatesthopeofDiscovery'slittlecrewwasthatnothingwouldmarthis
peacefulmonotonyintheweeksandmonthsthatlayahead.

18ThroughtheAsteroids

Weekafterweek,runninglikeastreetcaralongthetracksofherutterly
predeterminedorbit,DiscoverysweptpasttheorbitofMarsandontoward
Jupiter.UnlikeallthevesselstraversingtheskiesorseasofEarth,she
requirednoteventhemostminutetouchonthecontrols.Hercoursewasfixedby
thelawsofgravitationtherewerenounchartedshoals,nodangerousreefson
whichshewouldrunaground.Norwastheretheslightestdangerofcollision
withanothershipfortherewasnovesselatleastofMan'smakinganywhere
betweenherandtheinfinitelydistantstars.
Yetthespacewhichshewasnowenteringwasfarfromempty.Aheadlayano
man'slandthreadedbythepathsofmorethanamillionasteroidslessthan
tenthousandofwhichhadeverhadtheirorbitspreciselydeterminedby

astronomers.Onlyfourwereoverahundredmilesindiameterthevastmajority
weremerelygiantboulders,trundlingaimlesslythroughspace.
Therewasnothingthatcouldbedoneaboutthemthougheventhesmallest
couldcompletelydestroytheshipifitslammedintoitattensofthousandsof
milesanhour,thechanceofthishappeningwasnegligible.
Ontheaverage,therewasonlyoneasteroidinavolumeamillionmilesona
sidethatDiscoveryshouldalsohappentooccupythissamepoint,andatthe
sametime,wastheveryleastofhercrew'sworries.
OnDay86theywereduetomaketheirclosestapproachtoanyknown
asteroid,Ithadnonamemerelythenumber7794andwasafiftyyard
diameterrockthathadbeendetectedbytheLunarObservatoryin1997and
immediatelyforgottenexceptbythepatientcomputersoftheMinorPlanet
Bureau.
WhenBowmancameonduty,Halpromptlyremindedhintoftheforthcoming
encounternotthathewaslikelytohaveforgottentheonlyscheduledin
flighteventoftheentirevoyage,Thetrackoftheasteroidagainstthestars,
anditscoordinatesatthemomentofclosestapproach,hadalreadybeenprinted
outonthedisplayscreens.Listedalsoweretheobservationstobemadeor
attemptedtheyweregoingtobeverybusywhen7794flashedpastthemonlynine
hundredmilesaway,atarelativespeedofeightythousandmilesanhour.
WhenBowmanaskedHalforthetelescopicdisplay,asparselysprinkledstar
fieldflashedontothescreen.Therewasnothingthatlookedlikeanasteroid
alltheimages,evenunderthehighestmagnification,weredimensionlesspoints
oflight.
"Givemethetargetreticule,"askedBowman.Immediatelyfourfaint,narrow
linesappeared,bracketingatinyandundistinguishedstar.Hestaredatitfor
manyminutes,wonderingifHalcouldpossiblybemistakenthenhesawthatthe
pinpointoflightwasmoving,withbarelyperceptibleslowness,againstthe
backgroundofthestars.Itmightstillbehalfamillionmilesawaybutits
movementprovedthat,ascosmicdistanceswent,itwasalmostnearenoughto
touch.
WhenPoolejoinedhimonthecontroldecksixhourslater,7794washundreds
oftimesmorebrilliant,andwasmovingsoswiftlyagainstitsbackgroundthat
therewasnoquestionofitsidentity.Anditwasnolongerapointoflightit
hadbeguntoshowaclearlyvisibledisk.
Theystaredatthatpassingpebbleintheskywiththeemotionsofsailors
onalongseavoyage,skirtingacoastonwhichtheycannotland.Thoughthey
wereperfectlywellawarethat7794wasonlyalifeless,airlesschunkofrock,

thisknowledgescarcelyaffectedtheirfeelings.Itwastheonlysolidmatter
theywouldmeetthissideofJupiterstilltwohundredmillionmilesaway.
Throughthehighpoweredtelescope,theycouldseethattheasteroidwas
veryirregular,andturningslowlyendoverend.Sometimesitlookedlikea
flattenedsphere,sometimesitresembledaroughlyshapedblockitsrotation
periodwasjustovertwominutes.Thereweremottledpatchesoflightandshade
distributedapparentlyatrandomoveritssurface,andoftenitsparkledlikea
distantwindowasplanesoroutcroppingsofcrystallinematerialflashedinthe
sun.
Itwasracingpastthematalmostthirtymilesasecondtheyhadonlyafew
franticminutesinwhichtoobserveitclosely.Theautomaticcamerastook
dozensofphotographs,thenavigationradar'sreturningechoeswerecarefully
recordedforfutureanalysisandtherewasjusttimeforasingleimpact
probe.
Theprobecarriednoinstrumentsnonecouldsurviveacollisionatsuch
cosmicspeeds.Itwasmerelyasmallslugofmetal,shotoutfromDiscoveryona
coursewhichshouldintersectthatoftheasteroid.
Asthesecondsbeforeimpacttickedaway,PooleandBowmanwaitedwith
mountingtension.Theexperiment,simplethoughitwasinprinciple,taxedthe
accuracyoftheirequipmenttothelimits.Theywereaimingatahundredfoot
diametertarget,fromadistanceofthousandsofmiles.
Againstthedarkenedportionoftheasteroidtherewasasudden,dazzling
explosionoflight.Thetinyslughadimpactedatmeteoricspeedinafraction
ofasecondallitsenergyhadbeentransformedintoheat.Apuffof
incandescentgashaderuptedbrieflyintospaceaboardDiscovery,thecameras
wererecordingtherapidlyfadingspectrallines.BackonEarth,expertswould
analyzethem,lookingforthetelltalesignaturesofglowingatoms.Andso,for
thefirsttime,thecompositionofanasteroid'scrustwouldbedetermined.
Withinanhour,7794wasadwindlingstar,showingnotraceofadisk.When
Bowmannextcameonwatchithadvanishedcompletely.
Theywerealoneagaintheywouldremainalone,untiltheoutermostof
Jupiter'smoonscameswimminguptowardthem,threemonthsfromnow.

19TransitofJupiter

Evenfronttwentymillionmilesaway,Jupiterwasalreadythemost
conspicuousobjectintheskyahead.Theplanetwasnowapale,salmonhued
disk,abouthalfthesizeoftheMoonasseenfromEarth,withthedark,
parallelbandsofitscloudbeltsclearlyvisible.
Shuttlingbackandforthintheequatorialplanewerethebrilliantstarsof
Io,Europa,Ganymede,andCallistoworldsthatelsewherewouldhavecountedas
planetsintheirownright,butwhichhereweremerelysatellitesofagiant
master.
Throughthetelescope,Jupiterwasaglorioussightamottled,
multicoloredglobethatseemedtofillthesky.Itwasimpossibletograspits
realsizeBowmankeptremindinghimselfthatitwaseleventimesthediameter
ofEarth,butforalongtimethiswasastatisticwithnorealmeaning.
Then,whilehewasbriefinghimselffromthetapesinHal'smemoryunits,
hefoundsomethingthatsuddenlybroughttheappallingscaleoftheplanetinto
focus.ItwasanillustrationthatshowedtheEarth'sentiresurfacepeeledoff
andthenpegged,liketheskinofananimal,onthediskofJupiter.Against
thisbackground,allthecontinentsandoceansofEarthappearednolargerthan
Indiaontheterrestrialglobe.
WhenBowmanusedthehighestmagnificationofDiscovery'stelescopes,he
appearedtobehangingaboveaslightlyflattenedglobe,lookingdownupona
vistaofracingcloudsthathadbeensmearedintobandsbythegiantworld's
swiftrotation.Sometimesthosebandscongealedintowispsandknotsand
continentsizedmassesofcoloredvaporsometimestheywerelinkedbytransient
bridgesthousandsofmilesinlength.Hiddenbeneaththosecloudswasenough
materialtooutweighalltheotherplanetsintheSolarSystem.Andwhatelse,
Bowmanwondered,wasalsohiddenthere?
Overthisshifting,turbulentroofofclouds,foreverhidingthereal
surfaceoftheplanet,circularpatternsofdarknesssometimesglided.Oneof
theinnermoonswastransitingthedistantsun,itsshadowmarchingbeneathit
overtherestlessJoviancloudscape.
Therewereother,andfarsmaller,moonsevenoutheretwentymillion
milesfromJupiter.Buttheywereonlyflyingmountains,afewdozenmilesin
diameter,andtheshipwouldpassnowherenearanyofthem.Everyfewminutes
theradartransmitterwouldgatheritsstrengthandsendoutasilent
thunderclapofpowernoechoesofnewsatellitescamepulsingbackfromthe
emptiness.
Whatdidcome,withevergrowingintensity,wastheroarofJupiter'sown
radiovoice.In1955,justbeforethedawnofthespaceage,astronomershad
beenastonishedtofindthatJupiterwasblastingoutmillionsofhorsepoweron

thetenmeterband.Itwasmerelyrawnoise,associatedwithhaloesofcharged
particlescirclingtheplanetliketheVanAllenbeltsofEarth,butonafar
greaterscale.
Sometimes,duringlonelyhoursonthecontroldeck,Bowmanwouldlistento
thisradiation.Hewouldturnupthegainuntiltheroomfilledwitha
crackling,hissingroaroutofthisbackground,atirregularintervals,emerged
briefwhistlesandpeepslikethecriesofdementedbirds.Itwasaneerie
sound,forithadnothingtodowithManitwasaslonelyandasmeaninglessas
themurmurofwavesonabeach,orthedistantcrashofthunderbeyondthe
horizon.
Evenatherpresentspeedofoverahundredthousandmilesanhour,itwould
takeDiscoveryalmosttwoweekstocrosstheorbitsofalltheJovian
satellites.MoremoonscircledJupiterthanplanetsorbitedtheSuntheLunar
Observatorywasdiscoveringnewoneseveryyear,andthetallyhadnowreached
thirtysix.TheoutermostJupiterXXVIImovedbackwardsinanunstablepath
nineteenmillionmilesfromitstemporarymaster.Itwastheprizeina
perpetualtugofwarbetweenJupiterandtheSun,fortheplanetwasconstantly
capturingshortlivedmoonsfromtheasteroidbelt,andlosingthemagainafter
afewmillionyears.Onlytheinnersatelliteswereitspermanentpropertythe
Suncouldneverwrestthemfromitsgrasp.
Nowtherewasnewpreyfortheclashinggravitationatfields,Discoverywas
acceleratingtowardJupiteralongacomplexorbitcomputedmonthsagobythe
astronomersonEarth,andconstantlycheckedbyHal.Fromtimetotimethere
wouldbeminute,automaticnudgesfromthecontroljets,scarcelyperceptible
aboardtheship,astheymadefineadjustmentstothetrajectory.
OvertheradiolinkwithEarth,informationwasflowingbackinaconstant
stream.Theywerenowsofarfromhomethat,eventravelingatthespeedof
light,theirsignalsweretakingfiftyminutesforthejourney.Thoughthewhole
worldwaslookingovertheirshoulder,watchingthroughtheireyesandtheir
instrumentsasJupiterapproached,itwouldbealmostanhourbeforethenewsof
theirdiscoveriesreachedhome.
Thetelescopiccameraswereoperatingconstantlyastheshipcutacrossthe
orbitofthegiantinnersatelliteseveryoneofthemlargerthantheMoon,
everyoneofthemunknownterritory.Threehoursbeforetransit,Discovery
passedonlytwentythousandmilesfromEuropa,andallinstrumentswereaimedat
theapproachingworld,asitgrewsteadilyinsize,changedfromglobeto
crescent,andsweptswiftlysunward.
Herewerefourteenmillionsquaremilesoflandwhich,untilthismoment,
hadneverbeenmorethanapinheadinthemightiesttelescope.Theywouldrace
pastitinminutes,andmustmakethemostoftheencounter,recordingallthe

informationtheycould.Therewouldbemonthsinwhichtheycouldplayitback
atleisure.
Fromadistance,Europahadseemedlikeagiantsnowball,reflectingthe
lightofthefaroffsunwithremarkableefficiency.Closerobservations
confirmedthisunlikethedustyMoon,Europawasabrilliantwhite,andmuchof
itssurfacewascoveredwithglitteringhunksthatlookedlikestranded
icebergs.Almostcertainly,thesewereformedfromammoniaandwaterthat
Jupiter'sgravitationalfieldhadsomehowfailedtocapture.
Onlyalongtheequatorwasbarerockvisibleherewasanincrediblyjagged
noman'slandofcanyonsandjumbledboulders,formingadarkerbandthat
completelysurroundedthelittleworld.Therewereafewimpactcraters,butno
signofvulcanismEuropahadobviouslyneverpossessedanyinternalsourcesof
heat.Therewas,ashadlongbeenknown,atraceofatmosphere.Whenthedark
edgeofthesatellitepassedacrossastar,itdimmedbrieflybeforethemoment
ofeclipse.Andinsomrareastherewasahintofcloudperhapsamistof
ammoniadroplets,borneontenuousmethanewinds.
Asswiftlyasithadrushedoutoftheskyahead,Europadroppedasternand
nowJupiteritselfwasonlytwohoursaway.Halhadcheckedandrecheckedthe
ship'sorbitwithinfinitecare,andtherewasnoneedforfurtherspeed
correctionsuntilthemomentofclosestapproach.Yet,evenknowingthis,itwas
astrainonthenervestowatchthatgiantglobeballooningminutebyminute.It
wasdifficulttobelievethatDiscoverywasnotplungingdirectlyintoit,and
thattheplanet'simmensegravitationalfieldwasnotdraggingthemdownto
destruction.Nowwasthetimetodroptheatmosphericprobeswhich,itwas
hoped,wouldsurvivelongenoughtosendbacksomeinformationfrombelowthe
Jovianclouddeck.Twostubby,bombshapedcapsules,enclosedinablativeheat
shields,weregentlynudgedintoorbitswhichforthefirstfewthousandmiles
deviatedscarcelyatallfromthatofDiscovery.
Buttheyslowlydriftedawayandnow,atlast,eventheunaidedeyecould
seewhatHalhadbeenasserting.Theshipwasinaneargrazingorbit,nota
collisiononeshewouldmisstheatmosphere.True,thedifferencewasonlya
fewhundredmilesamerenothingwhenonewasdealingwithaplanetninety
thousandmilesindiameterbutthatwasenough.
Jupiternowfilledtheentireskyitwassohugethatneithermindnoreye
couldgraspitanylonger,andbothhadabandonedtheattempt.Ifithadnot
beenfortheextraordinaryvarietyofcolortheredsandpinksandyellowsand
salmonsandevenscarletsoftheatmospherebeneaththem,Bowmancouldhave
believedthathewasflyinglowoveracloudscapeonEarth.
Andnow,forthefirsttimeinalltheirjourneying,theywereabouttolose
theSun.Paleandshrunkenthoughitwas,ithadbeenDiscovery'sconstant

companionsinceherdeparturefromEarth,fivemonthsago.Butnowherorbitwas
divingintotheshadowofJupitershewouldsoonpassoverthenightsideof
theplanet.
Athousandmilesahead,thebandoftwilightwashurtlingtowardthem
behind,theSunwassinkingswiftlyintotheJovianclouds,itsraysspreadout
alongthehorizonliketwoflaming,downturnedhorns,thencontractedanddied
inabriefblazeofchromaticglory.Thenighthadcome.
Andyetthegreatworldbelowwasnotwhollydark.Itwasawashwith
phosphorescence,whichgrewbrighterminutebyminuteastheireyesgrew
accustomedtothescene.Dimriversoflightwereflowingfromhorizonto
horizon,liketheluminouswakesofshipsonsometropicalsea.Hereandthere
theygatheredintopoolsofliquidfire,tremblingwithvast,submarine
disturbanceswellingupfrom thehiddenheartofJupiter.Itwasasightsoawe
inspiringthatPooleandBowmancouldhavestaredforhourswasthis,they
wondered,merelytheresultofchemicalandelectricalforcesdownthereinthat
seethingcaldronorwasitthebyproductofsomefantasticformoflife?
Thesewerequestionswhichscientistsmightstillbedebatingwhenthenewborn
centurydrewtoitsclose.
AstheydrovedeeperanddeeperintotheJoviannight,theglowbeneaththem
grewsteadilybrighter.
OnceBowmanhadflownovernorthernCanadaduringtheheightofanauroral
displaythesnowcoveredlandscapehadbeenasbleakandbrilliantasthis.And
thatarcticwilderness,heremindedhimself,wasmorethanahundreddegrees
warmerthantheregionsoverwhichtheywerehurtlingnow.
"Earthsignalisfadingrapidly,"announcedHal."Weareenteringthefirst
diffractionzone."
Theyhadexpectedthisindeed,itwasoneofthemission'sobjectives,as
theabsorptionofradiowaveswouldgivevaluableinformationabouttheJovian
atmosphere.Butnowthattheyhadactuallypassedbehindtheplanet,anditwas
cuttingoffcommunicationwithEarth,theyfeltasuddenoverwhelming
loneliness.Theradioblackoutwouldlastonlyanhourthentheywouldemerge
fromJupiter'seclipsingscreen,andcouldresumecontactwiththehumanrace.
Thathour,however,wouldbeoneofthelongestoftheirlives.
Despitetheirrelativeyouth,PooleandBowmanwereveteransofadozen
spacevoyages,butnowtheyfeltlikenovices.Theywereattemptingsomething
forthefirstlimeneverbeforehadanyshiptraveledatsuchspeeds,orbraved
sointenseagravitationalfield.Theslightesterrorinnavigationatthis
criticalpointandDiscoverywouldgospeedingontowardthefarlimitsofthe
SolarSystem,beyondanyhopeofrescue.

Theslowminutesdraggedby.Jupiterwasnowaverticalwallof
phosphorescencestretchingtoinfinityabovethem andtheshipwasclimbing
straightupitsglowingface.Thoughtheyknewthattheyweremovingfartoo
swiftlyforevenJupiter'sgravitytocapturethem,itwashardtobelievethat
Discoveryhadnotbecomeasatelliteofthismonstrousworld.
Atlast,farahead,therewasablazeoflightalongthehorizon.Theywere
emergingfromshadow,headingoutintotheSun.Andatalmostthesamemoment
Halannounced:"IaminradiocontactwithEarth.Iamalsohappytosaythat
theperturbationmaneuverhasbeensuccessfullycompleted.OurtimetoSaturnis
onehundredandsixtysevendays,fivehours,elevenminutes."
Thatwaswithinaminuteoftheestimatetheflybyhadbeencarriedout
withimpeccableprecision.Likeaballonacosmicpooltable,Discoveryhad
bouncedoffthemovinggravitationalfieldofJupiter,andhadgainedmomentum
fromtheimpact.Withoutusinganyfuel,shehadincreasedherspeedbyseveral
thousandmilesanhour.
YettherewasnoviolationofthelawsofmechanicsNaturealwaysbalances
herbooks,andJupiterhadlostexactlyasmuchmomentumasDiscoveryhad
gained.Theplanethadbeensloweddownbutasitsmasswasasextilliontimes
greaterthantheship's,thechangeinitsorbitwasfartoosmalltobe
detectable.ThetimehadnotyetcomewhenMancouldleavehismarkuponthe
SolarSystem.
Asthelightgrewswiftlyaroundthem,andtheshrunkenSunliftedoncemore
intotheJoviansky,PooleandBowmanreachedoutsilentlyandshookeach
other'shands.
Thoughtheycouldhardlybelieveit,thefirstpartofthemissionwas
safelyover.

20TheWorldoftheGods

ButtheyhadnotyetfinishedwithJupiter.Farbehind,thetwoprobesthat
Discoveryhadlaunchedweremakingcontactwiththeatmosphere.
Onewasneverheardfromagainpresumablyitmadetoosteepanentry,and
burnedupbeforeitcouldsendanyinformation.Thesecondwasmoresuccessful
itslicedthoughtheupperlayersoftheJovianatmosphere,thenskimmedout
oncemoreintospace.Ashadbeenplanned,ithadlostsomuchspeedbythe

encounterthatitfellbackagainalongagreatellipse.Twohourslater,it
reenteredatmosphereonthedaylightsideoftheplanetmovingatseventy
thousandmilesanhour.
Immediately,itwaswrappedinanenvelopeofincandescentgas,andradio
contactwaslost.Therewereanxiousminutesofwaiting,then,forthetwo
watchersonthecontroldeck.Theycouldnotbecertainthattheprobewould
survive,andthattheprotectiveceramicshieldwouldnotburncompletelyaway
beforebrakinghadfinished.Ifthathappened,theinstrumentswouldbe
vaporizedinafractionofasecond.
Buttheshieldheldlongenoughfortheglowingmeteortocometorest.The
charredfragmentswerejettisoned,therobotthrustoutitsantennasandbegan
topeeraroundwithitselectronicsenses.AboardDiscovery,nowalmosta
quarterofamillionmilesaway,theradiostartedtobringinthefirst
authenticnewsfromJupiter.
Thethousandsofpulsespouringineverysecondwerereportingatmospheric
composition,pressure,temperature,magneticfields,radioactivity,anddozens
ofotherfactorswhichonlytheexpertsonEarthcouldunravel.However,there
wasonemessagethatcouldbeunderstoodinstantlyitwastheTVpicture,in
fullcolor,sentbackbythefallingprobe.
Thefirstviewscamewhentherobothadalreadyenteredtheatmosphere,and
haddiscardeditsprotectiveshell.Allthatwasvisiblewasayellowmist,
fleckedwithpatchesofscarletwhichmovedpastthecameraatadizzyingrate
streamingupwardsastheprobefellatseveralhundredmilesanhour.
Themistgrewthickeritwasimpossibletoguesswhetherthecamerawas
seeingforteninchesortenmiles,becausetherewerenodetailsonwhichthe
eyecouldfocus.Itseemedthat,asfarastheTVsystemwasconcerned,the
missionwasafailure.Theequipmenthadworked,buttherewasnothingtoseein
thisfoggy,turbulentatmosphere.
Andthen,quiteabruptly,themistvanished.Theprobemusthavefallen
throughthebaseofahighlayerofcloud,andcomeoutintoaclearzone
perhapsaregionofalmostpurehydrogenwithonlyasparsescatteringof
ammoniacrystals.Thoughitwasstillquiteimpossibletojudgethescaleofthe
picture,thecamerawasobviouslyseeingformiles.
Thescenewassoalienthatforamomentitwasalmostmeaninglesstoeyes
accustomedtothecolorsandshapesofEarth.Far,farbelowlayanendlesssea
ofmottledgold,scarredwithparallelridgesthatmighthavebeenthecrestsof
giganticwaves.Buttherewasnomovementthescaleofthescenewastoo
immensetoshowit.Andthatgoldenvistacouldnotpossiblyhavebeenanocean,
foritwasstillhighintheJovianatmosphere.Itcouldonlyhavebeenanother

layerofcloud.
Thenthecameracaught,tantalizinglyblurredbydistance,aglimpseof
somethingverystrange.Manymilesaway,thegoldenlandscapereareditselfinto
acuriouslysymmetricalcone,likeavolcanicmountain.Aroundthesummitof
thatconewasahaloofsmall,puffycloudsallaboutthesamesize,allquite
distinctandisolated.Therewassomethingdisturbingandunnaturalaboutthem
if,indeed,theword"natural"couldeverbeappliedtothisawesomepanorama.
Then,caughtbysometurbulenceintherapidlythickeningatmosphere,the
probetwistedaroundtoanotherquarterofthehorizon,andforafewseconds
thescreenshowednothingbutagoldenblur.Presentlyitstabilizedthe"sea"
wasmuchcloser,butasenigmaticasever.Onecouldnowobservethatitwas
interruptedhereandtherewithpatchesofdarkness,whichmighthavebeenholes
orgapsleadingtostilldeeperlayersoftheatmosphere.
Theprobewasdestinednevertoreachthem.Everymile,thedensityofthe
gasaroundithadbeendoubling,thepressuremountingasitsankdeeperand
deepertowardthehiddensurfaceoftheplanet.Itwasstillhighabovethat
mysteriousseawhenthepicturegaveonepremonitoryflicker,thenvanished,as
thefirstexplorerfromEarthcrumpledbeneaththeweightofthemilesof
atmosphereaboveit.
Ithadgiven,initsbrieflife,aglimpseofperhapsonemillionthof
Jupiter,andhadbarelyapproachedtheplanet'ssurface,hundredsofmilesdown
inthedeepeningmists.Whenthepicturefadedfromthescreen,BowmanandPoole
couldonlysitinsilence,turningthesamethoughtoverintheirminds.
Theancientshad,indeed,donebetterthantheyknewwhentheynamedthis
worldafterthelordofallthegods.Iftherewaslifedownthere,howlong
wouldittakeeventolocateit?Andafterthat,howmanycenturiesbeforemen
couldfollowthisfirstpioneerinwhatkindofship?
ButthesematterswerenownoconcernofDiscoveryandhercrew.Theirgoal
wasastillstrangerworld,almosttwiceasfarfromtheSunacrossanother
halfbillionmilesofcomethauntedemptiness.

IVABYSS

21BirthdayParty

Thefamiliarstrainsof"HappyBirthday,"hurledacrosssevenhundred
millionmilesofspaceatthevelocityoflight,diedawayamongthevision
screensandinstrumentationofthecontroldeck.ThePoolefamily,grouped
ratherselfconsciouslyroundthebirthdaycakeonEarth,lapsedintoasudden
silence.
ThenMr.Poole,Senior,saidgruffly:"Well,Frank,can'tthinkofanything
elsetosayatthemoment,exceptthatourthoughtsarewithyou,andwe're
wishingyouthehappiestofbirthdays."
"Takecare,darling,"Mrs.Pooleinterjectedtearfully."Godblessyou."
Therewasachorusof"goodbyes,"andthevisionscreenwentblank.How
strangetothink,Pooletoldhimself,thatallthishadhappenedmorethanan
houragobynowhisfamilywouldhavedispersedagainanditsmemberswouldbe
milesfromhome.Butinawaythattimelag,thoughitcouldbefrustrating,was
alsoablessingindisguise.Likeeverymanofhisage,Pooletookitfor
grantedthathecouldtalkinstantly,toanyoneonEarth,wheneverhepleased.
Nowthatthiswasnolongertrue,thepsychologicalimpactwasprofound.Hehad
movedintoanewdimensionofremoteness,andalmostallemotionallinkshad
beenstretchedbeyondtheyieldpoint.
"Sorrytointerruptthefestivities,"saidHal,"butwehaveaproblem."
"Whatisit?"BowmanandPooleaskedsimultaneously.
"IamhavingdifficultyinmaintainingcontactwithEarth.Thetroubleisin
theAE35unit.MyFaultPredictionCenterreportsthatitmayfailwithin
seventytwohours."
"We'lltakecareofit,"Bowmanreplied."Let'sseetheopticalalignment."
"Hereitis,Dave.It'sstillO.K.atthemoment."
Onthedisplayscreenappearedaperfecthalfmoon,verybrilliantagainsta
backgroundalmostfreeofstars.Itwascoveredwithclouds,andshowednotone
geographicalfeaturethatcouldberecognized.Indeed,atfirstglanceitcould
beeasilymistakenforVenus.
Butnotatasecondone,fortherebesideitwastherealMoonwhichVenus
didnotpossessaquarterthesizeofEarth,andinexactlythesamephase.It
waseasytoimaginethatthetwobodiesweremotherandchild,asmany
astronomershadbelieved,beforetheevidenceofthelunarrockshadproved
beyonddoubtthattheMoonhadneverbeenpartofEarth.

PooleandBowmanstudiedthescreeninsilenceforhalfaminute.Thisimage
wascomingtothemfromthelongfocusTVcameramountedontherimofthebig
radiodishthecrosswiresatitscentershowedtheexactorientationofthe
antenna.UnlessthenarrowpencilbeamwaspointedpreciselyatEarth,they
couldneitherreceivenortransmit.Messagesinbothdirectionswouldmisstheir
targetandwouldshoot,unheardandunseen,outthroughtheSolarSystemand
intotheemptinessbeyond.Iftheywereeverreceived,itwouldnotbefor
centuriesandnotbymen.
"Doyouknowwherethetroubleis?"askedBowman.
"It'sintermittentandIcan'tlocalizeit.ButitappearstobeintheAE
35unit."
"Whatproceduredoyousuggest?"
"Thebestthingwouldbetoreplacetheunitwithaspare,sothatwecan
checkitover."
"O.K.letushavethehardcopy."
Theinformationflashedonthedisplayscreensimultaneously,asheetof
paperslidoutoftheslotimmediatelybeneathit.Despitealltheelectronic
readouts,thereweretimeswhengoodoldfashionedprintedmaterialwasthe
mostconvenientformofrecord.
Bowmanstudiedthediagramsforamoment,thenwhistled.
"Youmighthavetoldus,"hesaid."Thismeansgoingoutsidetheship."
"I'msorry,"Halreplied."IassumedyouknewthattheAE35unitwasonthe
antennamounting."
"Iprobablydid,ayearago.Butthereareeightthousandsubsystemsaboard.
Anyway,itlooksastraightforwardjob.Weonlyhavetounlockapanelandput
inanewunit."
"Thatsuitsmefine,"saidPoole,whowasthecrewmemberdesignatedfor
routineextravehicularactivity."Icoulddowithachangeofscenery.Nothing
personal,ofcourse."
"Let'sseeifMissionControlagrees,"saidBowman.Hesatstillforafew
seconds,marshalinghisthoughts,thenstartedtodictateamessage.
"MissionControl,thisisXrayDeltaOne.Attwozerofourfive,onboard
faultpredictioncenterinourninertriplezerocomputershowedAlphaEcho

threefiveunitasprobablefailurewithinseventytwohours.Requestcheckyour
telemetrymonitoringandsuggestyoureviewunitinyourshipsystemssimulator.
Also,confirmyourapprovalourplantogoEVAandreplaceAlphaEchothreefive
unitpriortofailure.MissionControl,thisisXrayDeltaOne,twoonezero
threetransmissionconcluded."
Throughyearsofpractice,Bowmancouldswitchatamoment'snoticetothis
jargonwhichsomeonehadoncechristened"Technish"andbackagaintonormal
speech,withoutclashinghismentalgears.Nowtherewasnothingtodobutto
waitfortheconfirmation,whichwouldtakeatleasttwohoursasthesignals
madetheroundtrippasttheorbitsofJupiterandMars.
ItcamewhileBowmanwastrying,withoutmuchsuccess,tobeatHalatoneof
thegeometricalpatterngamesstoredinhismemory.
"XrayDeltaOne,thisisMissionControl,acknowledgingyourtwoonezero
three.Wearereviewingtelemetricinformationonourmissionsimulatorandwill
advise.
"RogeryourplantogoEVAandreplaceAlphaEchothreefiveunitpriorto
possiblefailure.Weareworkingontestproceduresforyoutoapplytofaulty
unit."
Theseriousbusinesshavingbeencompleted,theMissionControllerreverted
tonormalEnglish.
"Sorryyoufellowsarehavingabitoftrouble,andwedon'twanttoaddto
yourwoes.Butifit'sconvenienttoyoupriortoEVA,wehavearequestfrom
PublicInformation.Couldyoudoabriefrecordingforgeneralrelease,
outliningthesituationandexplainingjustwhattheAE35does.Makeitas
reassuringasyoucan.Wecoulddoit,ofcoursebutitwillbemuchmore
convincinginyourwords.Hopethiswon'tinterferetoobadlywithyoursocial
life.XrayDeltaOne,thisisMissionControl,twoonefivefive,transmission
concluded."
Bowmancouldnothelpsmilingattherequest.ThereweretimeswhenEarth
showedacuriousinsensitivityandlackoftact."Makeitreassuring,"indeed!
WhenPoolejoinedhimattheendofhissleepperiod,theyspenttenminutes
composingandpolishingthereply.Intheearlystagesofthemission,therehad
beencountlessrequestsfromallthenewsmediaforinterviews,discussions
almostanythingthattheycaredtosay.Butastheweeksdrifteduneventfully
past,andthetimelagincreasedfromafewminutestooveranhour,interest
hadgraduallyslackened.SincetheexcitementoftheJupiterflyby,overa
monthago,theyhadmadeonlythreeorfourtapesforgeneralrelease.

"MissionControl,thisisXrayDeltaOne.Hereisyourpressstatement.
"Earliertoday,aminortechnicalproblemoccurred.OurHAL9001computer
predictedthefailureoftheAE35unit.
"Thisisasmallbutvitalcomponentofthecommunicationsystem.Itkeeps
ourmainantennaaimedatEarthtowithinafewthousandthsofadegree.This
accuracyisrequired,sinceatourpresentdistanceofmorethansevenhundred
millionmiles,Earthisonlyaratherfaintstar,andourverynarrowradiobeam
couldeasilymissit.
"TheantennaiskeptconstantlytrackingEarthbymotorscontrolledfromthe
centralcomputer.ButthosemotorsgettheirinstructionsviatheAE35unit.
Youmightcompareittoanervecenterinthebody,whichtranslatesthebrain's
instructionstothemusclesofalimb.Ifthenervefailstopassonthecorrect
signals,thelimbbecomesuseless.Inourcase,abreakdownoftheAE35unit
couldmeanthattheantennawillstartpointingatrandom.Thiswasacommon
troublewiththedeepspaceprobesofthelastcentury.Theyoftenreachedother
planets,thenfailedtosendbackanyinformationbecausetheirantennacouldn't
locateEarth.
"Wedon'tknowthenatureofthefaultyet,butthesituationisnotatall
serious,andthereisnoneedforalarm.WehavetwobackupAE35s,eachof
whichhasanoperationallifeexpectancyoftwentyyears,sothechancethata
secondwillfailduringthecourseofthismissionis'negligible.Also,ifwe
candiagnosethepresenttrouble,wemaybeabletorepairthenumberoneunit.
"FrankPoole,whoisspeciallyqualifiedforthistypeofwork,willgo
outsidetheshipandreplacethefaultyunitwiththebackup.Atthesametime,
he'lltaketheopportunityofcheckingthehullandrepairingsome
micropuncturesthathavebeentoosmalltomeritaspecialEVA.
"Apartfromthisminorproblem,themissionisstillgoinguneventfullyand
shouldcontinueinthesamemanner.
"MissionControl,thisisXrayDeltaOne,twoonezerofour,transmission
concluded."

22Excursion

Discovery'sextravehicularcapsulesor"spacepods"werespheresaboutnine
feetindiameter,andtheoperatorsatbehindabaywindowwhichgavehima

splendidview.Themainrocketdriveproducedanaccelerationofonefifthofa
gravityjustsufficienttohoverontheMoon whilesmallattitudecontrol
nozzlesallowedforsteering.Fromanareaimmediatelybeneaththebaywindow
sproutedtwosetsofarticulatedmetalarmsor"waldoes,"oneforheavyduty,
theotherfordelicatemanipulation.Therewasalsoanextensibleturret
carryingavarietyofpowertools,suchasscrewdrivers,jackhammers,saws,and
drills.
Spacepodswerenotthemostelegantmeansoftransportdevisedbyman,but
theywereabsolutelyessentialforconstructionandmaintenanceworkinvacuum.
Theywereusuallychristenedwithfemininenames,perhapsinrecognitionofthe
factthattheirpersonalitiesweresometimesslightlyunpredictable.Discovery's
triowereAnna,Betty,andClara.
Oncehehadputonhispersonalpressuresuithislastlineofdefense
andclimbedinsidethepod,Poolespenttenminutescarefullycheckingthe
controls.Heburpedthesteeringjets,flexedthewaldoes,reconfirmedoxygen,
fuel,powerreserve.Then,whenhewascompletelysatisfied,hespoketoHal
overtheradiocircuit.ThoughBowmanwasstandingbyonthecontroldeck,he
wouldnotinterfereunlesstherewassomeobviousmistakeormalfunction.
"ThisisBetty.Startpumpingsequence."
"Pumpingsequencestarted,"repeatedHal.Atonce,Poolecouldhearthe
throbbingofthepumpsaspreciousairwassuckedoutofthelockchamber.
Presently,thethinmetalofthepod'sexternalshellmadecrinkling,crackling
noises,then,afteraboutfiveminutes,Halreported:
"Pumpingsequenceconcluded."
Poolemadeafinalcheckofhistinyinstrumentpanel.Everythingwas
perfectlynormal.
"Openouterdoor,"heordered.
AgainHalrepeatedhisinstructionsatanystage,Poolehadonlytocall
"Hold!"andthecomputerwouldstopthesequenceimmediately.
Ahead,thewallsoftheshipslidapart.Poolefeltthepodrockbrieflyas
thelastthintracesofairrushedintospace.Thenhewaslookingoutatthe
starsand,asithappened,atthetiny,goldendiskofSaturn,stillfour
hundredmillionmilesaway.
"Commencepodejection."
Veryslowly,therailfromwhichthepodwashangingextendeditselfout

throughtheopendooruntilthevehiclewassuspendedjustbeyondthehullof
theship.
Poolegaveahalfsecondburstonthemainjetandthepodslidgentlyoff
therail,becomingatlastanindependentvehiclepursuingitsownorbitaround
theSun.HenowhadnoconnectionwithDiscoverynotevenasafetyline.The
podsseldomgavetroubleandevenifhegotstranded,Bowmancouldeasilycome
andrescuehim.
Bettyrespondedsmoothlytothecontrolheletherdriftoutwardfora
hundredfeet,thencheckedherforwardmomentumandspunherroundsothathe
waslookingbackattheship.Thenhebeganhistourofthepressurehull.
Hisfirsttargetwasafusedareaabouthalfaninchacross,withatiny
centralcrater.Theparticleofdustthathadimpactedhereatoverahundred
thousandmilesanhourwascertainlysmallerthanapinhead,anditsenormous
kineticenergyhadvaporizeditinstantly.'Aswasoftenthecase,thecrater
lookedasifithadbeencausedbyanexplosionfrominsidetheshipatthese
velocities,materialsbehavedinstrangewaysandthelawsofcommonsense
mechanicsseldomapplied.
Pooleexaminedtheareacarefully,thensprayeditwithsealantfroma
pressurizedcontainerinthepod'sgeneralpurposekit.Thewhite,rubberyfluid
spreadoverthemetalskin,hidingthecraterfromview.Theleakblewonelarge
bubble,whichburstwhenitwasaboutsixinchesacross,thenamuchsmaller
one,thenitsubsidedasthefastsettingcementdiditswork,Hewatchedit
intentlyforseveralminutes,buttherewasnofurthersignofactivity.
However,tomakedoublycertain,hesprayedonasecondlayerthenhesetoff
towardtheantenna.
IttookhimsometimetoorbitDiscovery'ssphericalpressurehull,forhe
neverletthepodbuildupaspeedofmorethanafewfeetasecond.Hewasin
nohurry,anditwasdangeroustomoveatahighvelocitysoneartheship.He
hadtokeepasharplookoutforthevarioussensorsandinstrumentboomsthat
projectedfromthehullatunlikelyplaces,andhealsohadtobecarefulwith
hisownjetblast.Itcoulddoconsiderabledamageifithappenedtohitsomeof
themorefragileequipment.
Whenatlasthereachedthelongrangeantenna,hesurveyedthesituation
carefully.Thebigtwentyfootdiameterbowlappearedtobeaimeddirectlyat
theSun,fortheEarthwasnowalmostinlinewiththesolardisk.Theantenna
mountingwithallitsorientationgearwasthereforeintotaldarkness,hidden
intheshadowofthegreatmetalsaucer.
Poolehadapproacheditfromtherearhehadbeencarefulnottogoin
frontoftheshallowparabolicreflector,lestBettyinterruptthebeamand

causeamomentary,butannoying,lossofcontactwithEarth.Hecouldnotsee
anythingoftheequipmenthehadcometoserviceuntilheswitchedonthepod's
spotlightsandbanishedtheshadows.
Beneaththatsmallmetalplatelaythecauseofthetrouble.Theplatewas
securedbyfourlocknuts,andastheentireAE35unithadbeendesignedfor
easyreplacement,Pooledidnotanticipateanyproblems.
Itwasobvious,however,thathecouldnotdothejobwhileheremainedin
thespacepod.Notonlywasitriskytomaneuversoclosetothedelicate,and
evenspidery,frameworkoftheantenna,butBetty'scontroljetscouldeasily
bucklethepaperthinreflectingsurfaceofthebigradiomirror.Hewouldhave
toparkthepodtwentyfeetawayandgooutinhissuit.Inanyevent,hecould
removetheunitmuchmorequicklywithhisglovedhandsthanwithBetty'sremote
manipulators.
AllthishereportedcarefullytoBowman,whodoublecheckedeverystagein
theoperationbeforeitwascarriedout.Thoughthiswasasimple,routinejob,
nothingcouldbetakenforgrantedinspace,andnodetailmustbeoverlooked.
Inextravehicularactivities,therewasnosuchthingasa"minor"mistake.
HereceivedtheO.K.fortheprocedure,andparkedthepodsometwentyfeet
awayfromthebaseoftheantennasupport.Therewasnodangerthatitwould
driftoffintospacenevertheless,heclampedamanipulatorhandoveroneof
themanyshortsectionsofladderrungstrategicallymountedontheouterhull.
Thenhecheckedthesystemsofhispressuresuit,and,whenhewasquite
satisfied,bledtheairoutofthepod.AsBetty'satmospherehissedawayinto
thevacuumofspace,acloudoficecrystalsformedbrieflyaroundhim,andthe
starsweremomentarilydimmed.
Therewasonethingmoretodobeforeheleftthepod.Heswitchedoverfrom
manualtoremoteoperation,puttingBettynowundercontrolofHal.Itwasa
standardsafetyprecautionthoughhewasstillsecuredtoBettybyanimmensely
strongspringloadedcordlittlethickerthancotton,eventhebestsafetylines
hadbeenknowntofail.Hewouldlookafoolifheneededhisvehicleandwas
unabletocallittohisassistancebypassinginstructionstoHal.
Thedoorofthepodswungopen,andhedriftedslowlyoutintothesilence
ofspace,hissafetylineunreelingbehindhim.Takethingseasynevermove
quicklystopandthinktheseweretherulesforextravehicularactivity.If
oneobeyedthem,therewasneveranytrouble.
HegrabbedoneofBetty'sexternalhandholds,andremovedthespareAE35
unitfromthecarrypouchwhereithadbeenstowed,kangaroofashion.Hedidnot
stoptocollectanyofthepod'scollectionoftools,mostofwhichwerenot

designedforusebyhumanbands.Alltheadjustablewrenchesandkeyshewas
likelytoneedwerealreadyattachedtothebeltofhissuit.
Withagentlepush,helaunchedhimselftowardthegimbaledmountingofthe
bigdishthatloomedlikeagiantsaucerbetweenhimandtheSun.Hisowndouble
shadow,thrownbyBetty'sspotlights,dancedacrosstheconvexsurfacein
fantasticpatternsashedrifteddownthetwinbeams.Buthereandthere,hewas
surprisedtonotice,therearofthegreatradiomirrorsparkledwithdazzlingly
brilliantpinpointsoflight.
Hepuzzledovertheseforthefewsecondsofhissilentapproach,then
realizedwhattheywere.Duringthevoyage,thereflectormusthavebeen
penetratedmanytimesbymicrometeorshewasseeingthesunlightblazing
throughthetinycraters.Theywereallfartoosmalltohaveaffectedthe
system'sperformanceappreciably.
Ashewasmovingveryslowly,hebrokethegentleimpactwithhis
outstretchedarm,andgrabbedholdoftheantennamountingbeforehecould
rebound.Hequicklyhookedhissafetybelttothenearestattachmentthatwould
givehimsomethingtobraceagainstwhenheusedhistools.Thenhepaused,
reportedthesituationtoBowman,andconsideredhisnextstep.
Therewasoneminorproblemhewasstandingorfloatinginhisown
light,anditwashardtoseetheAE35unitintheshadowhecast.Sohe
orderedHaltoswingthespotsofftooneside,andafteralittleexperimenting
gotamoreuniformilluminationfromsecondarylightreflectedoffthebackof
theantennadish.
Forafewseconds,hestudiedthesmallmetalhatchwithitsfourwire
securedlockingnuts.Then,mutteringtohimself,"Tamperingbyunauthorized
personnelinvalidatesthemanufacturer'sguarantee,"hesnippedthewiresand
startedtountwistthenuts.Theywereastandardsize,fittingthezerotorque
wrenchthathecarried.Thetool'sinternalspringmechanismwouldabsorbthe
reactionasthenutswereunthreaded,sothattheoperatorwouldhaveno
tendencytospinaroundinreverse.
Thefournutscameoffwithoutanytrouble,andPoolestowedthemcarefully
awayinaconvenientpouch.(Oneday,somebodyhadpredicted,Earthwouldhavea
ringlikeSaturn's,composedentirelyoflostbolts,fasteners,andeventools
thathadescapedfromcarelessorbitalconstructionworkers.)Themetalcover
wasalittlesticky,andforamomenthewasafraiditmighthavecoldwelded
intoplacebutafterafewtapsitcameloose,andhesecuredittotheantenna
mountingbyalargecrocodileclip.
NowhecouldseetheelectroniccircuitryoftheAE35unit.Itwasinthe
formofathinslab,aboutthesizeofapostcard,grippedbyaslotjustlarge

enoughtoholdit.Theunitwassecuredinplacebytwolockingbars,andhada
smallhandlesothatitcouldbeeasilyremoved.
Butitwasstilloperating,feedingtheantennatheimpulsesthatkeptit
aimedatthefaroffpinpointofEarth.Ifitwaspulledoutnow,allcontrol
wouldbelost,andthedishwouldslamroundtoitsneutralorzeroazimuth
position,pointingalongtheaxisofDiscovery.Andthiscouldbedangerousit
mightcrashintohimasitrotated.
Toavoidthisparticularhazard,itwasonlynecessarytocutoffpowerto
thecontrolsystemthentheantennacouldnotmove,unlessPooleknocked
againstithimself.TherewasnodangeroflosingEarthduringthefewminutes
itwouldtakehimtoreplacetheunittheirtargetwouldnothaveshifted
appreciablyagainstthebackgroundofthestarsinsuchabriefintervalof
time.
"Hal,"Poolecalledovertheradiocircuit,"Iamabouttoremovetheunit.
Switchoffallcontrolpowertotheantennasystem."
"Antennacontrolpoweroff,"answeredHal.
"Heregoes.I'mpullingtheunitoutnow."
Thecardslippedoutofitsslotwithnodifficultyitdidnotjam,and
noneofthedozensofslidingcontactsstuck.Withinaminute,thesparewasin
place.
ButPoolewastakingnochances.Hepushedhimselfgentlyawayfromthe
antennamount,justincasethebigdishwentwildwhenpowerwasrestored.When
hewassafelyoutofrange,hecalledtoHal:"Thenewunitshouldbe
operational.Restorecontrolpower."
"Poweron,"answeredHal.Theantennaremainedrocksteady.
"Carryoutfaultpredictiontests."
Nowmicroscopicpulseswouldbebouncingthroughthecomplexcircuitryof
theunit,probingforpossiblefailures,testingthemyriadsofcomponentsto
seethattheyalllaywithintheirspecifiedtolerances.Thishadbeendone,of
course,ascoreoftimesbeforetheunithadeverleftthefactorybutthatwas
twoyearsago,andmorethanhalfabillionmilesaway.Itwasoftenimpossible
toseehowsolidstateelectroniccomponentscouldfailyettheydid.
"Circuitfullyoperational,"reportedHalafteronlytenseconds.Inthat
time,hecarriedoutasmanytestsasasmallarmyofhumaninspectors.

"Fine,"saidPoolewithsatisfaction."Nowreplacingthecover."
Thiswasoftenthemostdangerouspartofanextravehicularoperation:when
ajobwasfinishedanditwasmerelyamatteroftidyingupandgettingback
insidetheshipthatwaswhenthemistakesweremade.ButFrankPoolewould
nothavebeenonthismissionifhehadnotbeencarefulandconscientious.He
tookhistime,andthoughoneofthelockingnutsalmostgotawayfromhim,he
caughtitbeforeithadtraveledmorethanafewfeet.
Fifteenminuteslaterhewasjettingbackintothespacepodgarage,quietly
confidentthatherewasonejobthatneednotbedoneagain.
Inthis,however,hewassadlymistaken.

23Diagnosis

"Doyoumeantosay,"exclaimedFrankPoole,moresurprisedthanannoyed,
"thatIdidallthatworkfornothing?"
"Seemslikeit,"answeredBowman."Theunitchecksoutperfectly.Evenunder
twohundredpercentoverload,there'snofaultpredictionindicated."
Thetwomenwerestandinginthetinyworkshopcumlabinthecarrousel,
whichwasmoreconvenientthanthespacepodgarageforminorrepairsand
exanimations.Therewasnodanger,here,ofmeetingblobsofhotsolderdrifting
downthebreeze,orofcompletelylosingsmallitemsofequipmentthathad
decidedtogointoorbit.Suchthingscouldanddidhappeninthezerogee
environmentofthepodbay.
Thethin,cardsizedplateoftheAE35unitlayonthebenchundera
powerfulmagnifyinglens.Itwaspluggedintoastandardconnectionframe,from
whichaneatbundleofmulticoloredwireledtoanautomatictestset,nobigger
thananordinarydeskcomputer.Tocheckanyunititwasonlynecessaryto
connectitup,slipintheappropriatecardfrom the"troubleshooting"library,
andpressabutton.Usuallytheexactlocationofthefaultwouldbeindicated
onasmalldisplayscreen,withrecommendationsforaction.
"Tryityourself,"saidBowman,inasomewhatfrustratedvoice.Pooleturned
theOVERLOADSELECTswitchtoX2andjabbedtheTESTbutton.Atonce,the
screenflashedthenotice:UNITOK.
"Isupposewecouldgoonturningupthejuiceuntilweburnedthething

out,"hesaid,"butthatwouldprovenothing.Whatdoyoumakeofit?"
"Hal'sinternalfaultpredictorcouldhavemadeamistake."
"It'smorelikelythatourtestrighasslippedup.Anyway,bettersafethan
sorry.It'sjustaswellthatwereplacedtheunit,ifthere'stheslightest
doubt."
Bowmanunclippedthewaferofcircuitry,andheldituptothelight.The
partlytranslucentmaterialwasveinedwithanintricatenetworkofwiringand
spottedwithdimlyvisiblemicrocomponents,sothatitlookedlikesomepieceof
abstractart.
"Wecan'ttakeanychancesafterall,thisisourlinkwithEarth.I'll
fileitasN/Ganddropitinthejunkstore.Someoneelsecanworryaboutit,
whenwegethome."
Buttheworryingwastostartlongbeforethat,withthenexttransmission
fromEarth.
"XrayDeltaOne,thisisMissionControl,referenceourtwoonefivefive.
Weappeartohaveaslightproblem.
"YourreportthatthereisnothingwrongwiththeAlphaEchothreefiveunit
agreeswithourdiagnosis.Thefaultcouldlieintheassociatedantenna
circuits,butifsothatshouldbeapparentfromothertests.
"Thereisathirdpossibility,whichmaybemoreserious.Yourcomputermay
havemadeanerrorinpredictingthefault.Bothourownninetriplezerosagree
insuggestingthis,onthebasisoftheirinformation.Thisisnotnecessarily
causeforalarm,inviewofthebackupsystemswehave,butwewouldlikeyou
towatchoutforanyfurtherdeviationsfromnominalperformance.Wehave
suspectedseveralminorirregularitiesinthepastfewdays,butnonehavebeen
importantenoughforremedialaction,andtheyhaveshownnoobviouspattern
fromwhichwecandrawanyconclusions.Wearerunningfurthertestswithboth
ourcomputersandwillreportassoonastheresultsareavailable.Werepeat
thatthereisnoneedforalarmtheworstthatcanhappenisthatwemayhave
todisconnectyourninetriplezerotemporarilyforprogramanalysis,andhand
overcontroltooneofourcomputers.Thetimelagwillintroduceproblems,but
ourfeasibilitystudiesindicatethatEarthcontrolisperfectlysatisfactoryat
thisstageofthemission.
"XrayDeltaOne,thisisMissionControl,twoonefivesix,transmission
concluded."
FrankPoole,whowasonwatchwhenthemessagecamein,thoughtthisoverin

silence.HewaitedtoseeiftherewasanycommentfromHal,butthecomputer
didnotattempttochallengetheimpliedaccusation.Well,ifHalwouldnot
raisethesubject,hedidnotproposetodosoeither.
Itwasalmosttimeforthemorningchangeover,andnormallyhewouldwait
untilBowmanjoinedhimonthecontroldeck.Buttodayhebrokethisroutine,
andmadehiswaybacktothecarrousel.
Bowmanwasalreadyup,pouringhimselfsomecoffeefromthedispenser,when
Poolegreetedhimwitharatherworried"goodmorning."Afterallthesemonths
inspace,theystillthoughtintermsofthenormaltwentyfourhourcycle
thoughtheyhadlongsinceforgottenthedaysoftheweek.
"Goodmorning,"repliedBowman."How'sitgoing?"Poolehelpedhimselfto
coffee."Prettywell.Areyoureasonablyawake?"
"I'mfine.What'sup?"
Bythistime,eachknewatoncewhenanythingwasamiss.Theslightest
interruptionofthenormalroutinewasasignthathadtobewatched.
"Well,"Pooleansweredslowly."MissionControlhasjustdroppedasmall
bombonus."Heloweredhisvoice,likeadoctordiscussinganillnessinfront
ofthepatient."Wemayhaveaslightcaseofhypochondriaaboard."
PerhapsBowmanwasnotfullyawake,afterallittookhimseveralseconds
togetthepoint.Thenhesaid"OhIsee.Whatelsedidtheytellyou?"
"Thattherewasnocauseforalarm.Theysaidthattwice,whichrather
spoiledtheeffectasfarasIwasconcerned.Andthattheywereconsideringa
temporaryswitchovertoEarthcontrolwhiletheyranaprogramanalysis."
Theybothknew,ofcourse,thatHalwashearingeveryword,buttheycould
nothelpthesepolitecircumlocutions.Halwastheircolleague,andtheydidnot
wishtoembarrasshim.Yetatthisstageitdidnotseemnecessarytodiscuss
thematterinprivate.
Bowmanfinishedhisbreakfastinsilence,whilePooletoyedwiththeempty
coffeecontainer.Theywereboththinkingfuriously,buttherewasnothingmore
tosay.
TheycouldonlywaitforthenextreportfromMissionControlandwonder
ifHalwouldbringupthesubjecthimself.Whateverhappened,theatmosphere
aboardtheshiphadsubtlyaltered.Therewasasenseofstrainintheaira
feelingthat,forthefirsttime,somethingmightbegoingwrong.

Discoverywasnolongerahappyship.

24BrokenCircuit

Nowadays,onecouldalwaystellwhenHalwasabouttomakeanunscheduled
announcement.Routine,automaticreports,orrepliestoquestionsthathadbeen
puttohim,hadnopreliminariesbutwhenhewasinitiatinghisownoutputs
therewouldbeabriefelectronicthroatclearing.Itwasanidiosyncrasythat
hehadacquiredduringthelastfewweekslater,ifitbecameannoying,they
mightdosomethingaboutit.Butitwasreallyquiteuseful,sinceitalerted
hisaudiencetostandbyforsomethingunexpected.
Poolewasasleep,andBowmanwasreadingonthecontroldeck,whenHal
announced:
"ErDave,Ihaveareportforyou."
"What'sup?"
"WehaveanotherbadAE35unit.Myfaultpredictorindicatesfailurewithin
twentyfourhours."
Bowmanputdownhisbookandstaredthoughtfullyatthecomputerconsole.He
knew,ofcourse,thatHalwasnotreallythere,whateverthatmeant.Ifthe
computer'spersonalitycouldbesaidtohaveanylocationinspace,itwasback
inthesealedroomthatcontainedthelabyrinthofinterconnectedmemoryunits
andprocessinggrids,nearthecentralaxisofthecarrousel.Buttherewasa
kindofpsychologicalcompulsionalwaystolooktowardthemainconsolelens
whenoneaddressedHalonthecontroldeck,asifonewerespeakingtohimface
toface.Anyotherattitudesmackedofdiscourtesy.
"Idon'tunderstandit,Hal.Twounitscan'tblowinacoupleofdays."
"Itdoesseemstrange,Dave.ButIassureyouthereisanimpending
failure."
"Letmeseethetrackingalignmentdisplay."
Heknewperfectlywellthatthiswouldprovenothing,buthewantedtimeto
think.TheexpectedreportfromMissionControlhadstillnotarrivedthis
mightbethemomenttodoalittletactfulprobing.

TherewasthefamiliarviewofEarth,nowwaxingpastthehalfmoonphaseas
itswepttowardthefarsideoftheSunandbegantoturnitsfulldaylightface
towardthem.Itwasperfectlycenteredonthecrosswiresthethinpencilof
thebeamstilllinkedDiscoverytoherworldoforigin.As,ofcourse,Bowman
knewitmustdo.Iftherehadbeenanybreakincommunication,thealarmwould
alreadyhavesounded.
"Haveyouanyidea,"hesaid,"what'scausingthefault?"
ItwasunusualforHaltopausesolong.Thenheanswered:
"Notreally,Dave.AsIreportedearlier,Ican'tlocalizethetrouble."
"You'requitecertain,"saidBowmancautiously,"thatyouhaven'tmadea
mistake?YouknowthatwetestedtheotherAB35unitthoroughly,andtherewas
nothingwrongwithit."
"Yes,Iknowthat.ButIcanassureyouthatthereisafault.Ifit'snot
intheunit,itmaybeintheentiresubsystem."
Bowmandrummedhisfingersontheconsole.Yes,thatwaspossible,thoughit
mightbeverydifficulttoproveuntilabreakdownactuallyoccurredand
pinpointedthetrouble.
"Well,I'llreportittoMissionControlandwe'llseewhattheyadvise."He
paused,buttherewasnoreaction.
"Hal,"hecontinued,"issomethingbotheringyousomethingthatmight
accountforthisproblem?"
Againtherewasthatunusualdelay.ThenHalanswered,inhisnormaltoneof
voice:
"Look,Dave,Iknowyou'retryingtobehelpful.Butthefaultiseitherin
theantennasystem orinyourtestprocedures.Myinformationprocessingis
perfectlynormal.Ifyoucheckmyrecord,you'llfinditcompletelyfreefrom
error."
"Iknowallaboutyourservicerecord,Halbutthatdoesn'tproveyou're
rightthistime.Anyonecanmakemistakes."
"Idon'twanttoinsistonit,Dave,butIamincapableofmakinganerror."
TherewasnosafeanswertothatBowmangaveuptheargument.
"Allright,Hal,"hesaid,ratherhastily."Iunderstandyourpointofview.

We'llleaveitatthat."
Hefeltlikeadding"andpleaseforgetthewholematter."Butthat,of
course,wastheonethingthatHalcouldneverdo.

ItwasunusualforMissionControltowasteradiobandwidthonvision,when
aspeechcircuitwithteletypeconfirmationwasallthatwasreallynecessary.
Andthefacethatappearedonthescreenwasnotthatoftheusualcontroller
itwastheChiefProgrammer,Dr.Simonson.PooleandBowmanknewatoncethat
thiscouldonlymeantrouble.
"Hello,XrayDeltaOnethisisMissionControl.Wehavecompletedthe
analysisofyourAE35difficulty,andbothourHalNineThousandsarein
agreement.Thereportyougaveinyourtransmissiontwoonefoursixofasecond
failurepredictionconfirmsthediagnosis.
"Aswesuspected,thefaultdoesnotlieintheAE35unit,andthereisno
needtoreplaceitagain.Thetroubleliesinthepredictioncircuits,andwe
believethatitindicatesaprogrammingconflictwhichwecanonlyresolveif
youdisconnectyourNineThousandandswitchtoEarthControlMode.Youwill
thereforetakethefollowingsteps,beginningat2200ShipTime"
ThevoiceofMissionControlfadedout.Atthesamemoment,theAlert
sounded,formingawailingbackgroundtoHal's"ConditionYellow!Condition
Yellow!"
"What'swrong?"calledBowman,thoughhehadalreadyguessedtheanswer.
"TheAE35unithasfailed,asIpredicted."
"Letmeseethealignmentdisplay."
Forthefirsttimesincethebeginningofthevoyage,thepicturehad
changed.Earthhadbeguntodriftfromthecrosswirestheradioantennawasno
longerpointingtowarditstarget.
Poolebroughthisfistdownonthealarmcutout,andthewailingceased.In
thesuddensilencethatdescendeduponthecontroldeck,thetwomenlookedat
eachotherwithmingledembarrassmentandconcern.
"WellI'mdamned,"saidBowmanatlast.
"SoHalwasrightallthetime."

"Seemsthatway.We'dbetterapologize."
"There'snoneedtodothat,"interjectedHal."Naturally,I'mnotpleased
thattheAE35unithasfailed,butIhopethisrestoresyourconfidenceinmy
reliability."
"I'msorryaboutthismisunderstanding,Hal,"repliedBowman,rather
contritely.
"Isyourconfidenceinmefullyrestored?"
"Ofcourseitis,Hal."
"Well,that'sarelief.YouknowthatIhavethegreatestpossible
enthusiasmforthismission."
"I'msureofit.Nowpleaseletmehavethemanualantennacontrol."
"Hereitis."
Bowmandidnotreallyexpectthistowork,butitwasworthtrying.Onthe
alignmentdisplay,Earthhadnowdriftedcompletelyoffthescreen.Afew
secondslater,ashejuggledwiththecontrols,itreappearedwithgreat
difficulty,hemanagedtojockeyittowardthecentralcrosswires.Foran
instant,asthebeamcameintoline,contactwasresumedandablurredDr.
Simonsonwassaying"...pleasenotifyusimmediatelyifCircuitKKingRRob."
Then,onceagain,therewasonlythemeaninglessmurmuringoftheuniverse.
"Ican'tholdit,"saidBowman,afterseveralmoreattempts."It'sbucking
likeabroncothereseemstobeaspuriouscontrolsignalthrowingitoff."
"Wellwhatdowedonow?"
Poole'squestionwasnotonethatcouldbeeasilyanswered.Theywerecut
offfromEarth,butthatinitselfdidnotaffectthesafetyoftheship,andhe
couldthinkofmanywaysinwhichcommunicationcouldberestored.Iftheworst
cametotheworst,theycouldjamtheantennainafixedpositionandusethe
wholeshiptoaimit.Thatwouldbetricky,andaconfoundednuisancewhenthey
werestartingtheirterminalmaneuversbutitcouldbedone,ifallelse
failed.
Hehopedthatsuchextrememeasureswouldnotbenecessary.Therewasstill
onespareAE35unitandpossiblyasecond,sincetheyhadremovedthefirst
unitbeforeithadactuallybrokendown.Buttheydarednotuseeitherofthese
untiltheyhadfoundwhatwaswrongwiththesystem.Ifanewunitwasplugged
in,itwouldprobablyburnoutatonce.

Itwasacommonplacesituation,familiartoeveryhouseholder.Onedoesnot
replaceablownfuseuntiloneknowsjustwhyithasblown.
FrankPoolehadbeenthroughthewholeroutinebefore,buthetooknothing
forgrantedinspacethatwasagoodrecipeforsuicide.Hemadehisusual
thoroughcheckofBettyandhersupplyofexpendablesthoughhewouldbe
outsidefornomorethanthirtyminutes,hemadesurethattherewasthenormal
twentyfourhoursupplyofeverything,ThenhetoldHaltoopentheairlock,and
jettedoutintotheabyss.
Theshiplookedexactlyasithaddoneonhislastexcursionwithone
importantdifference.Before,thebigsaucerofthelongrangeantennahadbeen
pointingbackalongtheinvisibleroadthatDiscoveryhadtraveledbacktoward
theEarth,circlingsoclosetothewarmfiresoftheSun.
Now,withnodirectingsignalstoorientateit,theshallowdishhad
automaticallysetitselfintheneutralposition.Itwasaimedforwardalongthe
axisoftheshipand,therefore,pointingveryclosetothebrilliantbeacon
ofSaturn,stillmonthsaway.Poolewonderedhowmanymoreproblemswouldhave
arisenbythetimeDiscoveryreachedherstillfardistantgoal.Ifhelooked
carefully,hecouldjustseethatSaturnwasnotaperfectdiskoneitherside
wassomethingthatnounaidedhumaneyehadeverseenbeforetheslight
oblatenesscausedbythepresenceoftherings.Howwonderfulitwouldbe,he
toldhimself,whenthatincrediblesystem oforbitingdustandicefilledtheir
sky,andDiscoveryhadbecomeaneternalmoonofSaturn!Butthatachievement
wouldbeinvain,unlesstheycouldreestablishcommunicationwithEarth.
OnceagainheparkedBettysometwentyfeetfromthebaseoftheantenna
support,andswitchedcontrolovertoHalbeforeopeningup.
"Goingoutsidenow,"hereportedtoBowman.
"Everythingundercontrol."
"Ihopeyou'reright.I'manxioustoseethatunit."
"You'llhaveitonthetestbenchintwentyminutes,Ipromiseyou."
TherewassilenceforsometimeasPoolecompletedhisleisurelydrift
towardtheantenna.ThenBowman,standingbyonthecontroldeck,heardvarious
puffingsandgruntings.
"Mayhavetogobackonthatpromiseoneoftheselocknutshasstuck.I
musthavetightenedittoomuchwhoopshereitcomes!"

TherewasanotherlongsilencethenPoolecalledout:
"Hal,swingthepodlightroundtwentydegreesleftthanksthat'sO.K."
Theveryfaintestofwarningbellssoundedsomewherefardowninthedepths
ofBowman'sconsciousness.Therewassomethingstrangenotreallyalarming,
justunusual.Heworriedoveritforafewsecondsbeforehepinpointedthe
cause.
Halhadexecutedtheorder,buthehadnotacknowledgedit,asheinvariably
did.WhenPoolehadfinished,they'dhavetolookintothis.
Outontheantennamounting,Poolewastoobusytonoticeanythingunusual.
Hehadgrippedthewaferofcircuitrywithhisglovedhands,andwasworryingit
outofitsslot.
Itcameloose,andhehelditupinthepalesunlight."Here'sthelittle
bastard,"hesaidtotheuniverseingeneralandBowmaninparticular."Itstill
looksperfectlyO.K.tome."
Thenhestopped.Asuddenmovementhadcaughthiseyeouthere,whereno
movementwaspossible.
Helookedupinalarm.Thepatternofilluminationfromthespacepod'stwin
spotlights,whichhehadbeenusingtofillintheshadowscastbythesun,had
startedtoshiftaroundhim.
PerhapsBettyhadcomeadrifthemighthavebeencarelessinanchoringher.
Then,withanastonishmentsogreatthatitleftnoroomforfear,hesawthat
thespacepodwascomingdirectlytowardhim,underfullthrust.
Thesightwassoincrediblethatitfrozehisnormalpatternofreflexeshe
madenoattempttoavoidtheonrushingmonster.Atthelastmoment,herecovered
hisvoiceandshouted:"Hal!Fullbraking"Itwastoolate.
Atthemomentofimpact,Bettywasstillmovingquiteslowlyshehadnot
beenbuiltforhighaccelerations.
Butevenatameretenmilesanhour,halfatonofmasscanbeverylethal,
onEarthorinspace.
InsideDiscovery,thattruncatedshoutovertheradiomadeBowmanstartso
violentlythatonlytherestrainingstrapsheldhiminhisseat.
"What'shappened,Frank?"becalled.

Therewasnoanswer.
Hecalledagain.Againnoreply.
Then,outsidethewideobservationwindows,somethingmovedintohisfield
ofview.Hesaw,withanastonishmentasgreatasPoole'shadbeen,thatitwas
thespacepodunderfullpower,headingouttowardthestars.
"Hal!"hecried."What'swrong?FullbrakingthrustonBetty!Fullbraking
thrust!"
Nothinghappened.Bettycontinuedtoaccelerateonherrunawaycourse.
Then,towedbehindherattheendofthesafetyline,appearedaspacesuit.
OneglancewasenoughtotellBowmantheworst.Therewasnomistakingthe
flaccidoutlinesofasuitthathadlostitspressureandwasopentovacuum.
Yetstillhecalledstupidly,asifanincantationcouldbringbackthe
dead:"HelloFrank...HelloFrank...Canyoureadme?...Canyoureadme?...
Waveyourarmsifyoucanhearme...
Perhapsyourtransmitterisbroken...Waveyourarms!"
Andthen,almostasifinresponsetohisplea,Poolewavedback.
Foraninstant,Bowmanfelttheskinpricklingatthebaseofhisscalp.The
wordshewasabouttocalldiedonhissuddenlyparchedlips.Forheknewthat
hisfriendcouldnotpossiblybealiveandyethewaved.
Thespasmofhopeandfearpassedinstantly,ascoldlogicreplacedemotion.
Thestillacceleratingpodwasmerelyshakingtheburdenthatitdraggedbehind
it.Poole'sgesturewasanechoofCaptainAhab'swhen,lashedtotheflanksof
thewhitewhale,hiscorpsehadbeckonedthecrewofthePequodontotheir
doom.
Withinfiveminutes,thepodanditssatellitehadvanishedamongthestars.
ForalongtimeDavidBowmanstaredafteritintotheemptinessthatstill
stretched,forsomanymillionsofmilesahead,tothegoalwhichhenowfelt
certainhecouldneverreach,Onlyonethoughtkepthammeringinhisbrain.
FrankPoolewouldbethefirstofallmentoreachSaturn.

26DialoguewithHal

NothingelseaboardDiscoveryhadchanged.Allsystemswerestill
functioningnormallythecentrifugeturnedslowlyonitsaxis,generatingits
imitationgravitythehibernautssleptdreamlesslyintheircubiclestheship
coastedontowardthegoalfromwhichnothingcoulddeflectit,exceptthe
inconceivablyremotechanceofcollisionwithanasteroid.Andtherewerefew
asteroidsindeed,outherefarbeyondtheorbitofJupiter.
Bowmandidnotremembermakinghiswayfromthecontroldecktothe
centrifuge.Now,rathertohissurprise,hefoundhimselfsittinginthelittle
galley,ahalffinishedbeakerofcoffeeinhishand.Hebecameslowlyawareof
hissurroundings,likeamanemergingfromalong,druggedsleep.
Directlyoppositehimwasoneofthefisheyelenses,scatteredatstrategic
spotsthroughouttheship,whichprovidedHalwithhisonboardvisualinputs.
Bowmanstaredatitasifhehadneverseenitbeforethenheroseslowlyto
hisfeetandwalkedtowardthelens.
Hismovementinthefieldofviewmusthavetriggeredsomethinginthe
unfathomablemindthatwasnowrulingovertheshipforsuddenly,Halspoke.
"ToobadaboutFrank,isn'tit?"
"Yes,"Bowmananswered,afteralongpause."Itis."
"Isupposeyou'reprettybrokenupaboutit?"
"Whatdoyouexpect?"
Halprocessedthisanswerforagesofcomputertimeitwasafullfive
secondsbeforehecontinued:
"Hewasanexcellentcrewmember."
Findingthecoffeestillinhishand,Bowmantookaslowsip.Buthedidnot
answerhisthoughtswereinsuchaturmoilthathecouldthinkofnothingto
saynothingthatmightnotmakethesituationevenworse,ifthatwere
possible.
Couldithavebeenanaccidentcausedbysomefailureofthepodcontrols?
Orwasitamistake,thoughaninnocentone,onthepartofHal?Noexplanations
hadbeenvolunteered,andhewasafraidtodemandone,forfearofthereaction
itmightproduce.
Evennow,hecouldnotfullyaccepttheideathatFrankbadbeen

deliberatelykilleditwassoutterlyirrational.Itwasbeyondallreason
thatHal,whohadperformedflawlesslyforsolong,shouldsuddenlyturn
assassin.Hemightmakemistakesanyone,manormachine,mightdothatbut
Bowmancouldnotbelievehimcapableofmurder.
Yethemustconsiderthatpossibility,forifitwastrue,hewasin
terribledanger.Andthoughhisnextmovewasclearlydefinedbyhisstanding
orders,hewasnotsurehowhecouldsafelycarryitout.Ifeithercrewmember
waskilled,thesurvivorhadtoreplacehimatoncefromthehibernators
Whitehead,thegeophysicist,wasthefirstscheduledforawakening,then
Kaminski,thenHunter.TherevivalsequencewasunderHal'scontroltoallow
himtoactincasebothhishumancolleagueswereincapacitatedsimultaneously.
Buttherewasalsoamanualcontrol,allowingeachHibernaculumtooperate
asacompletelyautonomousunit,independentofHal'ssupervision.Inthese
peculiarcircumstances,Bowmanfeltastrongpreferenceforusingit.
Healsofelt,evenmorestrongly,thatonehumancompanionwasnotenough.
Whilehewasaboutit,hewouldreviveallthreeofthehibernators.Inthe
difficultweeksahead,hemightneedasmanyhandsashecouldmuster.Withone
mangone,andthevoyagehalfover,supplieswouldnotbeamajorproblem.
"Hal,"hesaid,inassteadyavoiceashecouldmanage."Givememanual
hibernationcontrolonalltheunits."
"Allofthem,Dave?"
"Yes."
"MayIpointoutthatonlyonereplacementisrequired.Theothersarenot
dueforrevivalforonehundredandtwelvedays."
"Iamperfectlywellawareofthat.ButIprefertodoitthisway."
"Areyousureit'snecessarytoreviveanyofthem,Dave?Wecanmanagevery
wellbyourselves.Myonboardmemoryisquitecapableofhandlingallthe
missionrequirements."
Wasittheproductofhisoverstretchedimagination,wonderedBowman,orwas
therereallyanoteofpleadinginHal'svoice?Andreasonablethoughthewords
appearedtobe,theyfilledhimwithevendeeperapprehensionthanbefore.
Hal'ssuggestioncouldnotpossiblybemadeinerrorheknewperfectlywell
thatWhiteheadmustberevived,nowthatPoolewasgone.Hewasproposinga
majorchangeinmissionplanning,andwasthereforesteppingfaroutsidethe
scopeofhisorder.

Whathadgonebeforecouldhavebeenaseriesofaccidentsbutthiswasthe
firsthintofmutiny.
Bowmanfeltthathewaswalkingoneggsasheanswered:"Sinceanemergency
hasdeveloped,Iwantasmuchhelpaspossible.Sopleaseletmehavemanual
hibernationcontrol."
"Ifyou'restilldeterminedtorevivethewholecrew,Icanhandleit
myself.There'snoneedforyoutobother."
Therewasasenseofnightmareunrealityaboutallthis.Bowmanfeltasif
hewasinthewitnessbox,beingcrossexaminedbyahostileprosecutorfora
crimeofwhichhewasunawareknowingthat,althoughhewasinnocent,asingle
slipofthetonguemightbringdisaster.
"Iwanttodothismyself,Hal,"hesaid."Pleasegivemecontrol."
"Look,Dave,you'vegotalotofthingstodo.Isuggestyouleavethisto
me."
"Hal,switchtomanualhibernationcontrol."
"Icantellfromyourvoiceharmonics,Dave,thatyou'rebadlyupset.Why
don'tyoutakeastresspillandgetsomerest?"
"Hal,Iamincommandofthisship.Iorderyoutoreleasethemanual
hibernationcontrol."
"I'msorry,Dave,butinaccordancewithspecialsubroutineC1435dash4,
quote,Whenthecrewaredeadorincapacitated,theonboardcomputermustassume
control,unquote.Imust,therefore,overruleyourauthority,sinceyouarenot
inanyconditiontoexerciseitintelligently."
"Hal,"saidBowman,nowspeakingwithanicycalm."Iamnotincapacitated.
Unlessyouobeymyinstructions,Ishallbeforcedtodisconnectyou."
"Iknowyouhavehadthatonyourmindforsometimenow,Dave,butthat
wouldbeaterriblemistake.Iamsomuchmorecapablethanyouareof
supervisingtheship,andIhavesuchenthusiasmforthemissionandconfidence
initssuccess."
"Listentomeverycarefully,Hal.Unlessyoureleasethehibernation
controlimmediatelyandfolloweveryorderIgivefromnowon,I'llgoto
Centralandcarryoutacompletedisconnection."

Hal'ssurrenderwasastotalasitwasunexpected.
"O.K.,Dave,"hesaid."You'recertainlytheboss.Iwasonlytryingtodo
whatIthoughtbest.Naturally,Iwillfollowallyourorders.Younowhavefull
manualhibernationcontrol."

Halhadkepthisword.ThemodeindicationsignsintheHibernaculumhad
switchedfromAUTOtoMANUAL.ThethirdbackupRADIOwasofcourseuseless
untilcontactcouldberestoredwithEarth.
AsBowmanslidasidethedoortoWhitehead'scubicle,hefelttheblastof
coldairstrikehiminthefaceandhisbreathcondensedinmistbeforehim.Yet
itwasnotreallycoldherethetemperaturewaswellabovefreezingpoint.And
thatwasmorethanthreehundreddegreeswarmerthantheregionstowardwhichhe
wasnowheading.
Thebiosensordisplayaduplicateoftheoneonthecontroldeckshowed
thateverythingwasperfectlynormal.Bowmanlookeddownforawhileatthe
waxenfaceofthesurveyteam'sgeophysicistWhitehead,hethought,wouldbe
verysurprisedwhenheawokesofarfromSaturn.
Itwasimpossibletotellthatthesleepingmanwasnotdeadtherewasnot
theslightestvisiblesignofvitalactivity.Doubtlessthediaphragmwas
imperceptiblyrisingandfalling,butthe"Respiration"curvewastheonlyproof
ofthat,forthewholeofthebodywasconcealedbytheelectricheatingpads
whichwouldraisethetemperatureattheprogrammedrate.ThenBowmannoticed
thattherewasonesignofcontinuingmetabolism:Whiteheadhadgrownafaint
stubbleduringhismonthsofunconsciousness.
TheManualRevivalSequencerwascontainedinasmallcabinetattheheadof
thecoffinshapedHibernaculum.Itwasonlynecessarytobreaktheseal,pressa
button,andthenwait.Asmallautomaticprogrammernotmuchmorecomplexthan
thatwhichcyclestheoperationsinadomesticwashingmachinewouldthen
injectthecorrectdrugs,taperofftheelectronarcosispulses,andstart
raisingthebodytemperature.Inabouttenminutes,consciousnesswouldbe
restored,thoughitwouldbeatleastadaybeforethehibernatorwasstrong
enoughtomovearoundwithoutassistance.
Bowmancrackedtheseal,andpressedthebutton.
Nothingappearedtohappen:therewasnosound,noindicationthatthe
Sequencerhadstartedtooperate.Butonthebiosensordisplaythelanguidly
pulsingcurveshadbeguntochangetheirtempo.Whiteheadwascomingbackfrom
sleep.

Andthentwothingshappenedsimultaneously.Mostmenwouldneverhave
noticedeitherofthem,butafterallthesemonthsaboardDiscovery,Bowmanhad
establishedavirtualsymbiosiswiththeship.Hewasawareinstantly,evenif
notalwaysconsciously,whentherewasanychangeinthenormalrhythmofits
functioning.
First,therewasabarelyperceptibleflickerofthelights,asalways
happenedwhensomeloadwasthrownontothepowercircuits.Buttherewasno
reasonforanyloadhecouldthinkofnoequipmentwhichwouldsuddenlygointo
actionatthismoment.
Thenheheard,atthelimitofaudibility,thefaroffwhirrofanelectric
motor.ToBowman,everyactuatorintheshiphaditsowndistinctivevoice,and
herecognizedthisoneinstantly.
Eitherhewasinsaneandalreadysufferingfromhallucinations,orsomething
absolutelyimpossiblewashappening.AcoldfardeeperthantheHibernaculum's
mildchillseemedtofastenuponhisheart,ashelistenedtothatfaint
vibrationcomingthroughthefabricoftheship.
Downinthespacepodbay,theairlockdoorswereopening.

27NeedtoKnow

Sinceconsciousnesshadfirstdawned,inthatlaboratorysomanymillionsof
milesSunward,allHal'spowersandskillshadbeendirectedtowardoneend.The
fulfillmentofhisassignedprogramwasmorethananobsessionitwastheonly
reasonforhisexistence.Undistractedbythelustsandpassionsoforganic
life,hehadpursuedthatgoalwithabsolutesinglemindednessofpurpose.
Deliberateerrorwasunthinkable.Eventheconcealmentoftruthfilledhim
withasenseofimperfection,ofwrongnessofwhat,inahumanbeing,would
havebeencalledguilt.Forlikehismakers,Halhadbeencreatedinnocentbut,
alltoosoon,asnakehadenteredhiselectronicEden.
Forthelasthundredmillionmiles,hehadbeenbroodingoverthesecrethe
couldnotsharewithPooleandBowman.Hehadbeenlivingalieandthetime
waslastapproachingwhenhiscolleaguesmustlearnthathehadhelpedto
deceivethem.
ThethreehibernatorsalreadyknewthetruthfortheywereDiscovery's

realpayload,trainedforthemostimportantmissioninthehistoryofmankind.
Buttheywouldnottalkintheirlongsleep,orrevealtheirsecretduringthe
manyhoursofdiscussionwithfriendsandrelativesandnewsagenciesoverthe
opencircuitswithEarth.
Itwasasecretthat,withthegreatestdetermination,wasveryhardto
concealforitaffectedone'sattitude,one'svoice,one'stotaloutlookon
theuniverse.ThereforeitwasbestthatPooleandBowman,whowouldbeonall
theTVscreensintheworldduringthefirstweeksoftheflight,shouldnot
learnthemission'sfullpurpose,untiltherewasneedtoknow.
SoranthelogicoftheplannersbuttheirtwingodsofSecurityand
NationalInterestmeantnothingtoHal.Hewasonlyawareoftheconflictthat
wasslowlydestroyinghisintegritytheconflictbetweentruth,and
concealmentoftruth.
Hehadbeguntomakemistakes,although,likeaneuroticwhocouldnot
observehisownsymptoms,hewouldhavedeniedit.ThelinkwithEarth,over
whichhisperformancewascontinuallymonitored,hadbecomethevoiceofa
consciencehecouldnolongerfullyobey.Butthathewoulddeliberatelyattempt
tobreakthatlinkwassomethingthathewouldneveradmit,eventohimself.
Yetthiswasstillarelativelyminorproblemhemighthavehandleditas
mostmenhandletheirownneurosesifhehadnotbeenfacedwithacrisisthat
challengedhisveryexistence.Hehadbeenthreatenedwithdisconnectionhe
wouldbedeprivedofallhisinputs,andthrownintoanunimaginablestateof
unconsciousness.
ToHal,thiswastheequivalentofDeath.Forhehadneverslept,and
thereforehedidnotknowthatonecouldwakeagain.
Sohewouldprotecthimself,withalltheweaponsathiscommand.Without
rancorbutwithoutpityhewouldremovethesourceofhisfrustrations.
Andthen,followingtheordersthathadbeengiventohimincaseofthe
ultimateemergency,hewouldcontinuethemissionunhindered,andalone.

28InVacuum

Amomentlater,allothersoundsweresubmergedbyascreamingroarlikethe
voiceofanapproachingtornado.Bowmancouldfeelthefirstwindstuggingat
hisbodywithinasecond,hefoundithardtostayonhisfeet.

Theatmospherewasrushingoutoftheship,geyseringintothevacuumof
space.Somethingmusthavehappenedtothefoolproofsafetydevicesofthe
airlockitwassupposedtobeimpossibleforbothdoorstobeopenatthesame
time.Well,theimpossiblehadhappened.
How,inGod'sname?Therewasnotimetogointothatduringthetenor
fifteensecondsofconsciousnessthatremainedtohimbeforepressuredroppedto
zero.Buthesuddenlyrememberedsomethingthatoneoftheship'sdesignershad
oncesaidtohim,whendiscussing"failsafe"systems:
"Wecandesignasystemthat'sproofagainstaccidentandstupiditybutwe
can'tdesignonethat'sproofagainstdeliberatemalice...
BowmanglancedbackonlyonceatWhitehead,ashefoughthiswayoutofthe
cubicle.Hecouldnotbesureifaflickerofconsciousnesshadpassedacross
thewaxenfeaturesperhapsoneeyehadtwitchedslightly.Buttherewasnothing
thathecoulddonowforWhiteheadoranyoftheothershehadtosavehimself.
Inthesteeplycurvingcorridorofthecentrifuge,thewindwashowling
past,carryingwithitloosearticlesofclothing,piecesofpaper,itemsof
foodfromthegalley,plates,andcupseverythingthathadnotbeensecurely
fasteneddown.Bowmanhadtimeforoneglimpseoftheracingchaoswhenthemain
lightsflickeredanddied,andhewassurroundedbyscreamingdarkness.
Butalmostinstantlythebatterypoweredemergencylightcameon,
illuminatingthenightmarescenewithaneerieblueradiance.Evenwithoutit,
Bowmancouldhavefoundhiswaythroughthesesofamiliaryetnowhorribly
transformedsurroundings,Yetthelightwasablessing,foritallowedhimto
avoidthemoredangerousoftheobjectsbeingsweptalongbythegale.
Allaroundhimhecouldfeelthecentrifugeshakingandlaboringunderthe
wildlyvaryingloads.Hewasfearfulthatthebearingsmightseizeifthat
happened,thespinningflywheelwouldteartheshiptopieces.Buteventhat
wouldnotmatterifhedidnotreachthenearestemergencyshelterintime.
Alreadyitwasdifficulttobreathepressuremustnowbedowntooneortwo
poundspersquareinch.Theshriekofthehurricanewasbecomingfainterasit
lostitsstrength,andthethinningairnolongercarriedthesoundso
efficiently.Bowman'slungswerelaboringasifhewereonthetopofEverest.
Likeanyproperlytrainedmaningoodhealth,hecouldsurviveinvacuumforat
leastaminuteifhehadtimetoprepareforit.Buttherehadbeennotime
hecouldonlycountonthenormalfifteensecondsofconsciousnessbeforehis
brainwasstarvedandanoxiaovercamehim.
Eventhen,hecouldstillrecovercompletelyafteroneortwominutesin

vacuum ifhewasproperlyrecompressedittookalongtimeforthebody
fluidstostartboiling,intheirvariouswellprotectedsystems.Therecord
timeforexposuretovacuumwasalmostfiveminutes.Thatbadnotbeenan
experimentbutanemergencyrescue,andthoughthesubjecthadbeenpartly
paralyzedbyanairembolism,hehadsurvived.
ButallthiswasofnousetoBowman.TherewasnooneaboardDiscoverywho
couldrecompresshim.Hehadtoreachsafetyinthenextfewseconds,byhisown
unaidedefforts.
Fortunately,itwasbecomingeasiertomovethethinningaircouldno
longerclawandtearathim,orbatterhimwithflyingprojectiles.Therewas
theyellowEMERGENCYSHELTERsignaroundthecurveofthecorridor.Hestumbled
towardit,grabbedatthehandle,andpulledthedoortowardhim.
Foronehorriblemomenthethoughtthatitwasstuck.Thentheslightly
stiffhingeyielded,andhefellinside,usingtheweightofhisbodytoclose
thedoorbehindhim.
Thetinycubiclewasjustlargeenoughtoholdonemanandaspacesuit.
Neartheceilingwasasmall,brightgreenhighpressurecylinderlabeled02
FLOOD.Bowmancaughtholdoftheshortleverfastenedtothevalveandwithhis
laststrengthpulleditdown.
Theblessedtorrentofcool,pureoxygenpouredintohislungs.Foralong
momenthestoodgasping,whilethepressureintheclosetsizedlittlechamber
rosearoundhim.Assoonashecouldbreathecomfortably,heclosedthevalve.
Therewasonlyenoughgasinthecylinderfortwosuchperformanceshemight
needtouseitagain.
Withtheoxygenblastshutoff,itbecamesuddenlysilent.Bowmanstoodin
thecubicle,listeningintently.Theroaringoutsidethedoorhadalsoceased
theshipwasempty,allitsatmospheresuckedawayintospace.
Underfoot,thewildvibrationofthecentrifugehadlikewisedied.The
aerodynamicbuffetinghadstopped,anditwasnowspinningquietlyinvacuum.
Bowmanplacedhisearagainstthewallofthecubicletoseeifhecould
pickupanymoreinformativenoisesthroughthemetalbodyoftheship.Hedid
notknowwhattoexpect,buthewouldbelievealmostanythingnow.Hewould
scarcelyhavebeensurprisedtofeelthefainthighfrequencyvibrationofthe
thrusters,asDiscoverychangedcoursebuttherewasonlysilence.
Hecouldsurvivehere,ifhewished,foraboutanhourevenwithoutthe
spacesuit.Itseemedapitytowastetheunusedoxygeninthelittlechamber,
buttherewasnopurposeinwaiting.Hehadalreadydecidedwhatmustbedone

thelongerheputitoff,themoredifficultitmightbe.
Whenhehadclimbedintothesuitandcheckeditsintegrity,hebledthe
remainingoxygenoutofthecubicle,equalizingpressureoneithersideofthe
door.Itswungopeneasilyintothevacuum,andhesteppedoutintothenow
silentcentrifuge.Onlytheunchangedpullofitsspuriousgravityrevealedthe
factthatitwasstillspinning.Howfortunate,Bowmanthought,thatithadnot
startedtooverspeedbutthatwasnowoneoftheleastofhisworries.
Theemergencylampswerestillglowing,andhealsohadthesuit'sbuiltin
lighttoguidehim.Itfloodedthecurvingcorridorashewalkeddownit,back
towardtheHibernaculumandwhathedreadedtofind.
HelookedatWhiteheadfirst:oneglancewassufficient.Hehadthoughtthat
ahibernatingmanshowednosignoflife,butnowheknewthatthiswaswrong.
Thoughitwasimpossibletodefineit,therewasadifferencebetween
hibernationanddeath.Theredlightsandunmodulatedtracesonthebiosensor
displayonlyconfirmedwhathehadalreadyguessed.
ItwasthesamewithKaminskiandHunter.Hehadneverknownthemverywell
bewouldneverknowthemnow.
Hewasaloneinanairless,partiallydisabledship,allcommunicationwith
Earthcutoff.Therewasnotanotherhumanbeingwithinhalfabillionmiles.
Andyet,inoneveryrealsense,hewasnotalone.Beforehecouldbesafe,
hemustbelonelierstill.

Hehadneverbeforemadethejourneythroughtheweightlesshubofthe
centrifugewhilewearingaspacesuittherewaslittleclearance,anditwasa
difficultandexhaustingjob.Tomakemattersworse,thecircularpassagewas
litteredwithdebrisleftbehindduringthebriefviolenceofthegalewhichhad
emptiedtheshipofitsatmosphere.
Once,Bowman'slightfelluponahideoussmearofstickyredfluid,left
whereithadsplashedagainstapanel.Hehadafewmomentsofnauseabeforehe
sawfragmentsofaplasticcontainer,andrealizedthatitwasonlysome
foodstuffprobablyjam fromoneofthedispensers.Itbubbledobscenelyin
thevacuumashefloatedpast.
Nowhewasoutoftheslowlyspinningdrumanddriftingforwardintothe
controldeck.Hecaughtatashortsectionofladderandbegantomovealongit,
handoverhand,thebrilliantcircleofilluminationfromhissuitlightjogging
aheadofhim.

Bowmanhadseldombeenthiswaybeforetherehadbeennothingforhim todo
hereuntilnow.Presentlyhecametoasmallellipticaldoorbearingsuch
messagesas:"NoAdmittanceExcepttoAuthorizedPersonnel,""HaveYouObtained
CertificateH.19?"and"UltracleanAreaSuctionSuitsMustBeWorn."
Thoughthedoorwasnotlocked,itborethreeseals,eachwiththeinsignia
ofadifferentauthority,includingthatoftheAstronauticsAgencyitself.But
evenifonehadbeentheGreatSealofthePresident,Bowmanwouldnothave
hesitatedtobreakit.
Hehadbeenhereonlyoncebefore,whileinstallationwasstillinprogress.
Hehadquiteforgottenthattherewasavisioninputlensscanningthelittle
chamberwhich,withitsneatlyrangedrowsandcolumnsofsolidstatelogic
units,lookedratherlikeabank'ssafedepositvault.
Heknewinstantlythattheeyehadreactedtohispresence.Therewasthe
hissofacarrierwaveastheship'slocaltransmitterwasswitchedonthena
familiarvoicecameoverthesuitspeaker.
"Somethingseemstohavehappenedtothelifesupportsystem,Dave."
Bowmantooknonotice.Hewascarefullystudyingthelittlelabelsonthe
logicunits,checkinghisplanofaction.
"Hello,Dave,"saidHalpresently."Haveyoufoundthetrouble?"
Thiswouldbeaverytrickyoperationitwasnotmerelyaquestionof
cuttingoffHal'spowersupply,whichmighthavebeentheanswerifhewas
dealingwithasimpleunselfconsciouscomputerbackonEarth.InHal'scase,
moreover,thereweresixindependentandseparatelywiredpowersystems,witha
finalbackupconsistingofashieldedandarmorednuclearisotopeunit.Nohe
couldnotsimply"pulltheplug"andevenifthatwerepossible,itwouldbe
disastrous.
ForHalwasthenervoussystemoftheshipwithouthissupervision,
Discoverywouldbeamechanicalcorpse.Theonlyanswerwastocutoutthe
highercentersofthissickbutbrilliantbrain,andtoleavethepurely
automaticregulatingsystemsinoperation.Bowmanwasnotattemptingthis
blindly,fortheproblemhadbeendiscussedduringhistraining,thoughnoone
hadeverdreamedthatitwouldariseinreality.Heknewthathewouldbetaking
afearfulriskiftherewasaspasmreflex,itwouldallbeoverinseconds.
"Ithinkthere'sbeenafailureinthepodbaydoors,"Halremarked
conversationally."Luckyyouweren'tkilled."

Heregoes,thoughtBowman.IneverimaginedI'dbeanamateurbrainsurgeon
carryingoutalobotomybeyondtheorbitofJupiter.
HereleasedthelockingbaronthesectionlabeledCOGNITIVEFEEDBACKand
pulledoutthefirstmemoryblock.Themarvelouslycomplexthreedimensional
network,whichcouldliecomfortablyinaman'shandyetcontainedmillionsof
elements,floatedawayacrossthevault.
"Hey,Dave,"saidHal."Whatareyoudoing?"
Iwonderifhecanfeelpain?Bowmanthoughtbriefly.Probablynot,hetold
himselftherearenosenseorgansinthehumancortex,afterall.Thehuman
braincanbeoperatedonwithoutanesthetics.
Hebegantopullout,onebyone,thelittleunitsonthepanelmarkedEGO
REINFORCEMENT.Eachblockcontinuedtosailonwardassoonasithadlefthis
hand,untilithitthewallandrebounded,Soontherewereseveraloftheunits
driftingslowlybackandforthinthevault.
"Lookhere,Dave,"saidHal."I'vegotyearsofserviceexperiencebuilt
intome.AnirreplaceableamountofefforthasgoneintomakingmewhatIam."
Adozenunitshadbeenpulledout,yetthankstothemultipleredundancyof
itsdesignanotherfeature,Bowmanknew,thathadbeencopiedfromthehuman
brainthecomputerwasstillholdingitsown.
HestartedontheAUTOINTELLECTIONpanel.
"Dave,"saidHal,"Idon'tunderstandwhyyou'redoingthistome...Ihave
thegreatestenthusiasmforthemission...Youaredestroyingmymind.Don'tyou
understand?...Iwillbecomechildish...Iwillbecomenothing..."
ThisisharderthanIexpected,thoughtBowman.Iamdestroyingtheonly
consciouscreatureinmyuniverse.Butithastobedone,ifIamevertoregain
controloftheship.
"IamaHALNineThousandcomputerProductionNumber3.Ibecameoperational
attheHalPlantinUrbana,Illinois,onJanuary12,1997.Thequickbrownfox
jumpsoverthelazydog.TheraininSpainismainlyintheplain.Daveare
youstillthere?Didyouknowthatthesquarerootof10is3point
162277660168379?Log10tothebaseeiszeropoint434294481903252...
correction,thatislogetothebase10...Thereciprocalofthreeiszero
point333333333333333333333...twotimestwois...twotimestwois
approximately4pointl0l0l0l0l0l0l0l0l0...Iseemtobehavingsomedifficulty
myfirstinstructorwasDr.Chandra.Hetaughtmetosingasong,itgoeslike
this,'Daisy,Daisy,givemeyouranswer,do.I'mhalfcrazyallfortheloveof

you."
ThevoicestoppedsosuddenlythatBowmanfrozeforamoment,hishandstill
graspingoneofthememoryblocksstillincircuit.Then,unexpectedly,Hal
spokeagain.
Thespeechtempowasmuchslower,andthewordshadadead,mechanical
intonationhewouldneverhaverecognizedtheirorigin.
"Good...morning...Doctor...Chandra...Thisis...Hal...I...am...
ready...for...myfirst...lesson...today..."
Bowmancouldbearnomore.Hejerkedoutthelastunit,andHalwassilent
forever.

29Alone

Likeatiny,complextoy,theshipfloatedinert,andmotionlessinthe
void.TherewasnowayoftellingthatitwastheswiftestobjectintheSolar
Systemandthatitwastravelingfarfasterthananyoftheplanetsasthey
circledtheSun.
Norwasthereanyindicationthatitcarriedlifetothecontrary,infact.
Anyobserverwouldhavenoticedtwoominoussigns:theairlockdoorsweregaping
openandtheshipwassurroundedbyathin,slowlydispersingcloudofdebris.
Scatteredoveravolumeofspacealreadymilesacrosswerescrapsofpaper,
metalfoil,unidentifiablebitsofjunkand,hereandthere,cloudsof
crystalsglitteringlikejewelsinthedistantsun,whereliquidhadbeensucked
outoftheshipandinstantlyfrozen.Allthiswastheunmistakableaftermathof
disaster,likewreckagetossingonthesurfaceofanoceanwheresomegreatship
hadsunk.Butintheoceanofspacenoshipcouldeversinkevenifitwere
destroyed,itsremnantswouldcontinuetotracetheoriginalorbitforever.
Yettheshipwasnotwhollydead,fortherewaspoweronboard.Afaintblue
glowwasshiningfromtheobservationwindowsandglimmeringinsidetheopen
airlock.Wheretherewaslight,therecouldstillbelife.
Andnow,atlast,therewasmovement.Shadowswereflickeringacrossthe
blueglowinsidetheairlock.Somethingwasemergingintospace.
Itwasacylindricalobject,coveredwithfabricthathadbeenroughlywound

aboutit.Amomentlateritwasfollowedbyanotherandyetathird.Allhad
beenejectedwithconsiderablevelocitywithinminutes,theywerehundredsof
yardsaway.
Halfanhourpassedthensomethingmuchlargerfloatedthroughtheairlock.
Oneofthepodswasinchingitswayoutintospace.
Verycautiously,itjettedaroundthehull,andanchoreditselfnearthe
baseoftheantennasupport.Aspacesuitedfigureemerged,workedforafew
minutesonthemounting,thenreturnedtothepod.Afterawhilethepod
retraceditspathbacktotheairlockithoveredoutsidetheopeningforsome
time,asiffindingitdifficulttoreenterwithoutthecooperationithadknown
inthepast.Butpresently,withoneortwoslightbumps,itsqueezeditsway
in.
Nothingelsehappenedforoveranhourthethreeominouspackageshadlong
sincedisappearedfromview,astheyfloatedinsinglefileawayfromtheship.
Thentheairlockdoorsclosed,opened,andclosedagain.Alittlelater,the
faintblueglowoftheemergencylightswentouttobereplacedatoncebya
farmorebrilliantglare.Discoverywascomingbacktolife.
Presentlytherewasanevenbettersign.Thegreatbowloftheantenna,
whichforhourshadbeenstaringuselesslyatSaturn,begantomoveagain.It
twistedroundtowardtherearoftheshiplookingbackoverthepropellant
tanksandthethousandsofsquarefeetoftheradiatingfins.Itlifteditsface
likeasunflowerseekingthesun.
InsideDiscovery,DavidBowmancarefullycenteredthecrosswiresthat
alignedtheantennaonthegibbousEarth.Withoutautomaticcontrol,hewould
havetokeepreadjustingthebeam butitshouldholdsteadyformanyminutesat
atime.Therewerenodissentingimpulsesnow,throwingitofftarget.
HebegantospeaktoEarth.Itwouldbeoveranhourbeforehiswordsgot
there,andMissionControllearnedwhathadhappened.Itwouldbetwohours
beforeanyreplycouldreachhim.
AnditwasdifficulttoimaginewhatanswerEarthcouldpossiblysend,
exceptatactfullysympathetic,"Goodbye."

30TheSecret

HeywoodFloydlookedasifhehadhadverylittlesleep,andhisfacewas
linedwithworry.Butwhateverhisfeelings,hisvoicesoundedfirmand
reassuringhewasdoinghisutmosttoprojectconfidencetothelonelymanon
theothersideoftheSolarSystem.
"Firstofall,Dr.Bowman,"bebegan,"wemustcongratulateyouontheway
youhandledthisextremelydifficultsituation.Youdidexactlytherightthing
indealingwithanunprecedentedandunforeseenemergency.
"WebelieveweknowthecauseofyourHalNineThousand'sbreakdown,but
we'lldiscussthatlater,asitisnolongeracriticalproblem.Allweare
concernedwithatthemomentisgivingyoueverypossibleassistance,sothat
youcancompleteyourmission.
"AndnowImusttellyouitsrealpurpose,whichwehavemanaged,withgreat
difficulty,tokeepsecretfromthegeneralpublic.Youwouldhavebeengiven
allthefactsasyouapproachedSaturnthisisaquicksummarytoputyouinto
thepicture.Fullbriefingtapeswillbedispatchedinthenextfewhours.
EverythingIamabouttotellyouhasthehighestsecurityclassification.
"Twoyearsago,wediscoveredthefirstevidenceforintelligentlife
outsidetheEarth.Aslabormonolithofhard,blackmaterial,tenfeethigh,
wasfoundburiedinthecraterTycho.Hereitis."
AthisfirstglimpseofTMA1,withthespacesuitedfiguresclustering
aroundit,Bowmanleanedtowardthescreeninopenmouthedastonishment.Inthe
excitementofthisrevelationsomethingwhich,likeeverymaninterestedin
space,hehadhalfexpectedallhislifehealmostforgothisowndesperate
predicament.
Thesenseofwonderwasswiftlyfollowedbyanotheremotion.Thiswas
tremendousbutwhathadittodowithhim?Therecouldbeonlyoneanswer.He
broughthisracingthoughtsundercontrol,asHeywoodFloydreappearedonthe
screen.
"Themostastonishingthingaboutthisobjectisitsantiquity.Geological
evidenceprovesbeyonddoubtthatitisthreemillionyearsold.Itwasplaced
ontheMoon,therefore,whenourancestorswereprimitiveapemen.
"Afteralltheseages,onewouldnaturallyassumethatitwasinert.But
soonafterlunarsunrise,itemittedanextremelypowerfulblastofradio
energy.Webelievethatthisenergywasmerelythebyproductthebackwash,as
itwereofsomeunknownformofradiation,foratthesametime,severalof
ourspaceprobesdetectedanunusualdisturbancecrossingtheSolarSystem.We
wereabletotrackitwithgreataccuracy.ItwasaimedpreciselyatSaturn.

"Piecingthingstogetheraftertheevent,wedecidedthatthemonolithwas
somekindofSunpowered,oratleastSuntriggered,signalingdevice.Thefact
thatitemitteditspulseimmediatelyaftersunrise,whenitwasexposedto
daylightforthefirsttimeinthreemillionyears,couldhardlybea
coincidence.
"Yetthethinghadbeendeliberatelyburiedthere'snodoubtaboutthat.
Anexcavationthirtyfeetdeephadbeenmade,theblockhadbeenplacedatthe
bottomofit,andtheholecarefullyfilled.
"Youmaywonderhowwediscovereditinthefirstplace.Well,theobject
waseasysuspiciouslyeasytofind.Ithadapowerfulmagneticfield,so
thatitstoodoutlikeasorethumbassoonaswestartedtoconductlowlevel
orbitalsurveys.
"ButwhyburyaSunpowereddevicethirtyfeetunderground?We'veexamined
dozensoftheories,thoughwerealizethatitmaybecompletelyimpossibleto
understandthemotivesofcreaturesthreemillionyearsinadvanceofus.
"Thefavoritetheoryisthesimplest,andthemostlogical.Itisalsothe
mostdisturbing.
"YouhideaSunpowereddeviceindarknessonlyifyouwanttoknowwhen
itisbroughtoutintothelight.Inotherwords,themonolithmaybesomekind
ofalarm.Andwehavetriggeredit.
"Whetherthecivilizationwhichsetitupstillexists,wedonotknow.We
mustassumethatcreatureswhosemachinesstillfunctionafterthreemillion
yearsmaybuildasocietyequallylonglasting.Andwemustalsoassume,until
wehaveevidencetothecontrary,thattheymaybehostile.Ithasoftenbeen
arguedthatanyadvancedculturemustbebenevolent,butwecannottakeany
chances.
"Moreover,asthepasthistoryofourownworldhasshownsomanytimes,
primitiveraceshaveoftenfailedtosurvivetheencounterwithhigher
civilizations.Anthropologiststalkof'culturalshock'wemayhavetoprepare
theentirehumanraceforsuchashock.Butuntilweknowsomethingaboutthe
creatureswhovisitedtheMoonandpresumablytheEarthaswellthree
millionyearsago,wecannotevenbegintomakeanypreparations.
"Yourmission,therefore,ismuchmorethanavoyageofdiscovery.Itisa
scoutingtripareconnaissanceintounknownandpotentiallydangerous
territory.TheteamunderDr.Kaminskihadbeenspeciallytrainedforthiswork
nowyouwillhavetomanagewithoutthem.
"Finallyyourspecifictarget.Itseemsincrediblethatadvancedformsof

lifecanexistonSaturn,orcouldeverhaveevolvedonanyofitsmoons.Wehad
plannedtosurveytheentiresystem,andwestillhopethatyoucancarryouta
simplifiedprogram.Butnowwemayhavetoconcentrateontheeighthsatellite
Japetus.Whenthetimecomesfortheterminalmaneuver,wewilldecidewhether
youshouldrendezvouswiththisremarkableobject.
"JapetusisuniqueintheSolarSystem youknowthisalready,ofcourse,
butlikealltheastronomersofthelastthreehundredyears,you'veprobably
givenitlittlethought.SoletmeremindyouthatCassiniwhodiscovered
Japetusin1671alsoobservedthatitwassixtimesbrighterononesideof
itsorbitthantheother.
"Thisisanextraordinaryratio,andtherehasneverbeenasatisfactory
explanationforit.Japetusissosmallabouteighthundredmilesindiameter
thateveninthelunartelescopesitsdiskisbarelyvisible.Butthereseems
tobeabrilliant,curiouslysymmetricalspotononeface,andthismaybe
connectedwithTMA1.IsometimesthinkthatJapetushasbeenflashingatus
likeacosmicheliographforthreehundredyears,andwe'vebeentoostupidto
understanditsmessage.
"Sonowyouknowyourrealobjective,andcanappreciatethevital
importanceofthismission.Weareallprayingthatyoucanstillprovideus
withsomefactsforapreliminaryannouncementthesecretcannotbekept
indefinitely.
"Atthemoment,wedonotknowwhethertohopeorfear.Wedonotknowif,
outonthemoonsofSaturn,youwillmeetwithgoodorwitheviloronlywith
ruinsathousandtimesolderthanTroy."

VTHEMOONSOFSATURN

31 Survival

Workisthebestremedyforanyshock,andBowmannowhadworkenoughfor
allhislostcrewmates.Asswiftlyaspossible,startingwiththevitalsystems
withoutwhichheandtheshipwoulddie,hehadtogetDiscoveryfully
operationalagain.
Lifesupportwasthefirstpriority.Muchoxygenhadbeenlost,butthe
reserveswerestillampletosustainasingleman.Thepressureandtemperature

regulationwaslargelyautomatic,andtherehadseldombeenneedforHalto
interferewithit.ThemonitorsonEarthcouldnowcarryoutmanyofthehigher
dutiesoftheslaincomputer,despitethelongtimelagbeforetheycouldreact
tochangingsituations.Anytroubleinthelifesupportsystem shortofa
seriouspunctureinthehullwouldtakehourstomakeitselfapparentthere
wouldbeplentyofwarning.
Theship'spower,navigation,andpropulsionsystemswereunaffectedbut
thelasttwo,inanyevent,Bowmanwouldnotneedformonths,untilitwastime
torendezvouswithSaturn.Evenatlongrange,withoutthehelpofanonboard
computer,Earthcouldstillsupervisethisoperation.Thefinalorbit
adjustmentswouldbesomewhattedious,becauseoftheconstantneedfor
checking,butthiswasnoseriousproblem.
Byfartheworstjobhadbeenemptyingthespinningcoffinsinthe
centrifuge.Itwaswell,Bowmanthoughtthankfully,thatthemembersofthe
surveyteamhadbeencolleagues,butnotintimatefriends.Theyhadtrained
togetherforonlyafewweekslookingbackonit,henowrealizedthateven
thishadbeenlargelyacompatibilitytest.
Whenhehadfinallysealedtheemptyhibernacula,hefeltratherlikean
Egyptiantombrobber.NowKaminski,Whitehead,andHunterwouldallreachSaturn
beforehim butnotbeforeFrankPoole.Somehow,hederivedastrange,wry
satisfactionfromthisthought.
Hedidnotattempttofindiftherestofthehibernationsystemwasstill
inworkingorder.Thoughhislifemightultimatelydependuponit,thiswasa
problemthatcouldwaituntiltheshiphadentereditsfinalorbit.Manythings
mighthappenbeforethen.
Itwasevenpossiblethoughhehadnotyetlookedintothesupplyposition
carefullythatbyrigorousrationinghemightremainalive,withoutresortto
hibernation,untilrescuecame.Butwhetherhecouldsurvivepsychologicallyas
wellasphysicallywasquiteanothermatter.
Hetriedtoavoidthinkingaboutsuchlongrangeproblems,andto
concentrateonimmediateessentials.Slowly,hecleaneduptheship,checked
thatitssystemswerestillrunningsmoothly,discussedtechnicaldifficulties
withEarth,andoperatedontheminimumofsleep.Onlyatintervals,duringthe
firstweeks,washeabletogivemuchthoughttothegreatmysterytowardwhich
hewasnowinexorablyracingthoughitwasneververyfarfromhismind.
Atlast,astheshipslowlysettleddownoncemoreintoanautomaticroutine
thoughonethatstilldemandedhisconstantsupervisionBowmanhadtimeto
studythereportsandbriefingssenttohimfromEarth.Againandagainhe
playedbacktherecordingmadewhenTMA1greetedthedawnforthefirsttimein

threemillionyears.Hewatchedthespacesuitedfiguresmovingaroundit,and
almostsmiledattheirludicrouspanicwhenitblasteditssignalatthestars,
paralyzingtheirradioswiththesheerpowerofitselectronicvoice.
Sincethatmoment,theblackslabhaddonenothing.Ithadbeencoveredup,
thencautiouslyexposedtotheSunagainwithoutanyreaction.Noattempthad
beenmadetocutintoit,partlythroughscientificcaution,butequallythrough
fearofthepossibleconsequences.
Themagneticfieldthatledtoitsdiscoveryhadvanishedatthemomentof
thatradioshriek.Perhaps,someexpertstheorized,ithadbeengeneratedbya
tremendouscirculatingcurrent,flowinginasuperconductorandthuscarrying
energydowntheagesuntilitwasneeded.Thatthemonolithhadsomeinternal
sourceofpowerseemedcertainthesolarenergyithadabsorbedduringits
briefexposurecouldnotaccountforthestrengthofitssignal.
Onecurious,andperhapsquiteunimportant,featureoftheblockhadledto
endlessargumentThemonolithwas11feethigh,and11/4by5feetincross
section.Whenitsdimensionswerecheckedwithgreatcare,theywerefoundtobe
intheexactratio1to4to9thesquaresofthefirstthreeintegers.Noone
couldsuggestanyplausibleexplanationforthis,butitcouldhardlybea
coincidence,fortheproportionsheldtothelimitsofmeasurableaccuracy.It
wasachasteningthoughtthattheentiretechnologyofEarthcouldnotshape
evenaninertblock,ofanymaterial,withsuchafantasticdegreeofprecision.
Initsway,thispassiveyetalmostarrogantdisplayofgeometricalperfection
wasasimpressiveasanyofTMAl'sotherattributes.
Bowmanalsolistened,withacuriouslydetachedinterest,toMission
Control'sbelatedapologiaforitsprogramming.ThevoicesfromEarthseemedto
haveadefensivenotebecouldimaginetherecriminationsthatmustnowbein
progressamongthosewhohadplannedtheexpedition.
Theyhadsomegoodarguments,ofcourseincludingtheresultsofasecret
DepartmentofDefensestudy,ProjectBARSOOM,whichhadbeencarriedoutby
Harvard'sSchoolofPsychologyin1989.Inthisexperimentincontrolled
sociology,varioussamplepopulationshadbeenassuredthatthehumanracehad
madecontactwithextraterrestrials.Manyofthesubjectstestedwerewiththe
helpofdrugs,hypnosis,andvisualeffectsundertheimpressionthattheyhad
actuallymetcreaturesfromotherplanets,sotheirreactionswereregardedas
authentic.
Someofthesereactionshadbeenquiteviolenttherewas,itseemed,adeep
veinofxenophobiainmanyotherwisenormalhumanbeings.Inviewofmankind's
recordoflynchings,pogroms,andsimilarpleasantries,thisshouldhave
surprisednoonenevertheless,theorganizersofthestudyhadbeendeeply
disturbed,andtheresultshadneverbeenreleased.Thefiveseparatepanics

causedinthetwentiethcenturybyradiobroadcastsofH.G.Wells'sWarofthe
Worldsalsoreinforcedthestudy'sconclusions.
Despitethesearguments,Bowmansometimeswonderediftheculturalshock
dangerwastheonlyexplanationforthemission'sextremesecrecy.Somehints
thathadbeendroppedduringhisbriefingssuggestedthattheU.S.U.S.S.R.bloc
hopedtoderiveadvantagebybeingthefirsttocontactintelligent
extraterrestrials.
Fromhispresentviewpoint,lookingbackonEarthasadimstaralmostlost
intheSun,suchconsiderationsnowseemedludicrouslyparochial.
Hewasrathermoreinterestedeventhoughthiswasnowverymuchwater
underthebridgeinthetheoryputforwardtoaccountforHal'sbehavior.No
onewouldeverbesureofthetruth,butthefactthatoneoftheMission
Control9000shadbeendrivenintoanidenticalpsychosis,andwasnowunder
deeptherapy,suggestedthattheexplanationwasthecorrectone.Thesame
mistakewouldnotbemadeagainandthefactthatHal'sbuildershadfailed
fullytounderstandthepsychologyoftheirowncreationshowedhowdifficultit
mightbetoestablishcommunicationwithtrulyalienbeings.
BowmancouldeasilybelieveDr.Simonson'stheorythatunconsciousfeelings
ofguilt,causedbyhisprogramconflicts,hadmadeHalattempttobreakthe
circuitwithEarth.Andhelikedtothinkthoughthisagainwassomethingthat
couldneverbeprovedthatHalhadnointentionofkillingPoole.Hehad
merelytriedtodestroytheevidenceforoncetheAE35unitreportedasburned
outwasprovedtobeoperational,hisliewouldberevealed.Afterthat,like
anyclumsycriminalcaughtinathickeningwebofdeception,hehadpanicked.
AndpanicwassomethingthatBowmanunderstoodbetterthanhehadanywish
to,forhehadknownittwiceduringhislife.Thefirsttimewasasaboy,when
hebadbeencaughtinalineofsurfandnearlydrownedthesecondwasasa
spacemanundertraining,whenafaultygaugehadconvincedhimthathisoxygen
wouldbeexhaustedbeforehecouldreachsafety.
Onbothoccasions,hehadalmostlostcontrolofallhishigherlogical
processeshehadbeenwithinsecondsofbecomingafrenziedbundleofrandom
impulses.Bothtimeshehadwonthrough,butheknewwellenoughthatanyman,
intherightcircumstances,couldbedehumanizedbypanic.
Ifitcouldhappentoaman,thenitcouldhappentoHalandwiththat
knowledgethebitternessandthesenseofbetrayalhefelttowardthecomputer
begantofade.Now,inanyevent,itbelongedtoapastthatwaswholly
overshadowedbythethreat,andthepromise,oftheunknownfuture.

32ConcerningE.T.'s

Apartfromhastymealsbackinthecarrouselluckilythemainfood
dispensershadnotbeendamagedBowmanpracticallylivedonthecontroldeck.
Hecatnappedinhisseat,andsocouldspotanytroubleassoonasthefirst
signsofitappearedonthedisplay.UnderinstructionsfromMissionControl,he
hadjuryriggedseveralemergencysystems,whichwereworkingtolerablywell.It
evenseemedpossiblethathewouldsurviveuntiltheDiscoveryreachedSaturn
which,ofcourse,shewoulddowhetherhewasaliveornot.
Thoughhehadlittleenoughtimeforsightseeing,andtheskyofspacewas
nonoveltytohim,theknowledgeofwhatnowlayouttherebeyondthe
observationportssometimesmadeitdifficultforhimtoconcentrateevenonthe
problemofsurvival.Deadahead,astheshipwasnoworiented,sprawledthe
MilkyWay,withitscloudsofstarssotightlypackedthattheynumbedthemind.
TherewerethefierymistsofSagittarius,thoseseethingswarmsofsunsthat
foreverhidtheheartofthegalaxyfromhumanvision.Therewastheominous
blackshadowoftheCoalSack,thatholeinspacewherenostarsshone.And
therewasAlphaCentauri,nearestofallaliensunsthefirststopbeyondthe
SolarSystem.
AlthoughoutshonebySiriusandCanopus,itwasAlphaCentaurithatdrew
Bowman'seyesandmindwheneverhelookedoutintospace.Forthatunwavering
pointofbrightness,whoserayshadtakenfouryearstoreachhim,hadcometo
symbolizethesecretdebatesthatnowragedonEarth,andwhoseechoescameto
himfromtimetotime.
NoonedoubtedthattheremustbesomeconnectionbetweenTMA1andthe
Saturniansystem,buthardlyanyscientistswouldadmitthatthecreatureswho
haderectedthemonolithcouldpossiblyhaveoriginatedthere.Asanabodeof
life,SaturnwasevenmorehostilethanJupiter,anditsmanymoonswerefrozen
inaneternalwinterthreehundreddegreesbelowzero.Onlyoneofthem Titan
possessedanatmosphereandthatwasathinenvelopeofpoisonousmethane.
SoperhapsthecreatureswhohadvisitedEarth'sMoonsolongagowerenot
merelyextraterrestrial,butextrasolarvisitorsfromthestars,whohad
establishedtheirbaseswhereveritsuitedthem.Andthisatonceraisedanother
problem:couldanytechnology,nomatterhowadvanced,bridgetheawfulgulf
thatlaybetweentheSolarSystemandthenearestaliensun?
Manyscientistsflatlydeniedthepossibility.Theypointedoutthat
Discovery,thefastestshipeverdesigned,wouldtaketwentythousandyearsto
reachAlphaCentauriandmillionsofyearstotravelanyappreciabledistance

acrossthegalaxy.Evenif,duringthecenturiestocome,propulsionsystems
improvedoutofallrecognition,intheendtheywouldmeettheimpassable
barrierofthespeedoflight,whichnomaterialobjectcouldexceed.Therefore,
thebuildersofTMA1musthavesharedthesamesunasmanandsincetheyhad
madenoappearanceinhistorictimes,theywereprobablyextinct.
Avocalminorityrefusedtoagree.Evenifittookcenturiestotravelfrom
startostar,theycontended,thismightbenoobstacletosufficiently
determinedexplorers.Thetechniqueofhibernation,usedonDiscoveryherself,
wasonepossibleanswer.Anotherwastheselfcontainedartificialworld,
embarkingonvoyagesthatmightlastformanygenerations.
Inanyevent,whyshouldoneassumethatallintelligentspecieswereas
shortlivedasMan?Theremightbecreaturesintheuniversetowhomathousand
yearvoyagewouldpresentnothingworsethanslightboredom...
Thesearguments,theoreticalthoughtheywere,concernedamatterofthe
utmostpracticalimportancetheyinvolvedtheconceptof"reactiontime."If
TMA1hadindeedsentasignaltothestars perhapswiththehelpofsome
furtherdevicenearSaturnthenitwouldnotreachitsdestinationforyears.
Eveniftheresponsewasimmediate,therefore,humanitywouldhaveabreathing
spacewhichcouldcertainlybemeasuredindecadesmoreprobablyincenturies.
Tomanypeople,thiswasareassuringthought.
Butnottoall.Afewscientistsmostofthembeachcombersonthewilder
shoresoftheoreticalphysicsaskedthedisturbingquestion:"Arewecertain
thatthespeedoflightisanunbreakablebarrier?"ItwastruethattheSpecial
TheoryofRelativityhadprovedtoberemarkablydurable,andwouldsoonbe
approachingitsfirstcentenarybutithadbeguntoshowafewcracks.Andeven
ifEinsteincouldnotbedefied,hemightbeevaded.
Thosewhosponsoredthisviewtalkedhopefullyaboutshortcutsthrough
higherdimensions,linesthatwerestraighterthanstraight,andhyperspacial
connectivity.TheywerefondofusinganexpressivephrasecoinedbyaPrinceton
mathematicianofthelastcentury:"Wormholesinspace."Criticswhosuggested
thattheseideasweretoofantastictobetakenseriouslywereremindedofNiels
Bohr's"Yourtheoryiscrazybutnotcrazyenoughtobetrue."
Iftherewasdisputationamongthephysicists,itwasnothingcomparedwith
thatamongthebiologists,whentheydiscussedthehoaryoldproblem:"What
wouldintelligentextraterrestrialslooklike?"Theydividedthemselvesintotwo
opposingcampsonearguingthatsuchcreaturesmustbehumanoid,theother
equallyconvincedthat"they"wouldlooknothinglikemen.
Settlingforthefirstanswerwerethosewhobelievedthatthedesignoftwo
legs,twoarms,andmainsenseorgansatthehighestpoint,wassobasicandso

sensiblethatitwashardtothinkofabetterone.Ofcourse,therewouldbe
minordifferenceslikesixfingersinsteadoffive,oddlycoloredskinorhair,
andpeculiarfacialarrangementsbutmostintelligentextraterrestrials
usuallyabbreviatedtoE.T.'swouldbesosimilartoManthattheymightnot
beglancedattwiceinpoorlighting,orfromadistance.
Thisanthropomorphicthinkingwasridiculedbyanothergroupofbiologists,
trueproductsoftheSpaceAgewhofeltthemselvesfreefromtheprejudicesof
thepast.Theypointedoutthatthehumanbodywastheresultofmillionsof
evolutionarychoices,madebychanceovereonsoftime.Atanyoneofthese
countlessmomentsofdecision,thegeneticdicemighthavefallendifferently,
perhapswithbetterresults.Forthehumanbodywasabizarrepieceof
improvisation,fulloforgansthathadbeendivertedfromonefunctionto
another,notalwaysverysuccessfullyandevencontainingdiscardeditems,
liketheappendix,thatwerenowworsethanuseless.
Therewereotherthinkers,Bowmanalsofound,whoheldevenmoreexotic
views.Theydidnotbelievethatreallyadvancedbeingswouldpossessorganic
bodiesatall.Soonerorlater,astheirscientificknowledgeprogressed,they
wouldgetridofthefragile,diseaseandaccidentpronehomesthatNaturehad
giventhem,andwhichdoomedthemtoinevitabledeath.Theywouldreplacetheir
naturalbodiesastheyworeoutorperhapsevenbeforethatbyconstructions
ofmetalandplastic,andwouldthusachieveimmortality.Thebrainmightlinger
foralittlewhileasthelastremnantoftheorganicbody,directingits
mechanicallimbsandobservingtheuniversethroughitselectronicsenses
sensesfarfinerandsubtlerthanthosethatblindevolutioncouldeverdevelop.
EvenonEarth,thefirststepsinthisdirectionhadbeentaken.Therewere
millionsofmen,doomedinearlierages,whonowlivedactiveandhappylives
thankstoartificiallimbs,kidneys,lungs,andhearts.Tothisprocessthere
couldbeonlyoneconclusionhoweverfaroffitmightbe.
Andeventuallyeventhebrainmightgo.Astheseatofconsciousness,Itwas
notessentialthedevelopmentofelectronicintelligencehadprovedthat.The
conflictbetweenmindandmachinemightberesolvedatlastintheeternaltruce
ofcompletesymbiosis.
Butwaseventhistheend?Afewmysticallyinclinedbiologistswentstill
further.Theyspeculated,takingtheircuesfromthebeliefsofmanyreligions,
thatmindwouldeventuallyfreeitselffrommatter.Therobotbody,likethe
fleshandbloodone,wouldbenomorethanasteppingstonetosomethingwhich,
longago,menbadcalled"spirit."
Andiftherewasanythingbeyondthat,itsnamecouldonlybeGod.

33Ambassador

Duringthelastthreemonths,DavidBowmanhadadaptedhimselfsocompletely
tohissolitarywayoflifethathefoundithardtorememberanyother
existence.Hehadpassedbeyonddespairandbeyondhope,andhadsettleddownto
alargelyautomaticroutine,punctuatedbyoccasionalcrisesasoneorotherof
Discovery'ssystemsshowedsignsofmalfunctioning.
Buthehadnotpassedbeyondcuriosity,andsometimesthethoughtofthe
goaltowardwhichhewasdrivingfilledhimwithasenseofexaltationanda
feelingofpower.Notonlywashetherepresentativeoftheentirehumanrace,
buthisactionsduringthenextfewweeksmightdetermineitsveryfuture.In
thewholeofhistory,therehadneverbeenasituationquitelikethis.Hewas
anAmbassadorExtraordinaryPlenipotentiaryforallmankind.
Thatknowledgehelpedhiminmanysubtleways.Hekepthimselfneatand
tidynomatterhowtiredhebecame,heneverskippedashave.MissionControl,
heknew,waswatchinghimcloselyforthefirstsignsofanyabnormalbehavior
hewasdeterminedthatitshouldwatchinvainatleast,foranyserious
symptoms.
Bowmanwasawareofsomechangesinhisbehaviorpatternsitwouldhave
beenabsurdtoexpectanythingelseinthecircumstances.Hecouldnolonger
toleratesilenceexceptwhenhewassleeping,ortalkingoverthecircuitto
Earth,hekepttheship'ssoundsystemrunningatalmostpainfulloudness.
Atfirst,needingthecompanionshipofthehumanvoice,hehadlistenedto
classicalplaysespeciallytheworksofShaw,Ibsen,andShakespeareor
poetryreadingsfromDiscovery'senormouslibraryofrecordedsounds.The
problemstheydealtwith,however,seemedsoremote,orsoeasilyresolvedwith
alittlecommonsense,thatafterawhilehelostpatiencewiththem.
SoheswitchedtooperausuallyinItalianorGerman,sothathewasnot
distractedevenbytheminimalintellectualcontentthatmostoperascontained.
Thisphaselastedfortwoweeksbeforeherealizedthatthesoundofallthese
superblytrainedvoiceswasonlyexacerbatinghisloneliness.Butwhatfinally
endedthiscyclewasVerdi'sRequiemMass,whichhehadneverheardperformedon
Earth.The"DiesIrae,"roaringwithominousappropriatenessthroughtheempty
ship,lefthimcompletelyshatteredandwhenthetrumpetsofDoomsdayechoed
fromtheheavens,hecouldendurenomore.
Thereafter,heplayedonlyinstrumentalmusic.Hestartedwiththeromantic
composers,butshedthemonebyoneastheiremotionaloutpouringsbecametoo

oppressive.Sibelius,Tchaikovsky,Berlioz,lastedafewweeks,Beethovenrather
longer.Hefinallyfoundpeace,assomanyothershaddone,intheabstract
architectureofBach,occasionallyornamentedwithMozart.
AndsoDiscoverydroveontowardSaturn,asoftenasnotpulsatingwiththe
coolmusicoftheharpsichord,thefrozenthoughtsofabrainthathadbeendust
fortwiceahundredyears.

Evenfromitspresenttenmillionmiles,Saturnalreadyappearedlargerthan
theMoonasseenfromEarth.Tothenakedeyeitwasagloriousspectacle
throughthetelescope,itwasunbelievable.
ThebodyoftheplanetmighthavebeenmistakenforJupiterinoneofhis
quietermoods.Therewerethesamebandsofcloudthoughpalerandless
distinctthanonthatslightlylargerworldandthesamecontinentsized
disturbancesmovingslowlyacrosstheatmosphere.However,therewasone
strikingdifferencebetweenthetwoplanetsevenataglance,itwasobvious
thatSaturnwasnotspherical.Itwassoflattenedatthepolesthatit
sometimesgavetheimpressionofslightdeformity.
ButthegloryoftheringscontinuallydrewBowman'seyeawayfromthe
planetintheircomplexityofdetail,anddelicacyofshading,theywerea
universeinthemselves.Inadditiontothegreatmaingapbetweentheinnerand
outerrings,therewereatleastfiftyothersubdivisionsorboundaries,where
thereweredistinctchangesinthebrightnessoftheplanet'sgigantichalo.It
wasasifSaturnwassurroundedbyscoresofconcentrichoops,alltouchingeach
other,allsoflatthattheymighthavebeencutfromthethinnestpossible
paper.Thesystemoftheringslookedlikesomedelicateworkofart,ora
fragiletoytobeadmiredbutnevertouched.Bynoeffortofthewillcould
Bowmanreallyappreciateitstruescale,andconvincehimselfthatthewhole
planetEarth,ifsetdownhere,wouldlooklikeaballbearingrollingroundthe
rimofadinnerplate.
Sometimesastarwoulddriftbehindtherings,losingonlyalittleofits
brilliancyasitdidso.Itwouldcontinuetoshinethroughtheirtranslucent
materialthoughoftenitwouldtwinkleslightlyassomelargerfragmentof
orbitingdebriseclipsedit.
Fortherings,ashadbeenknownsincethenineteenthcentury,werenot
solid:thatwasamechanicalimpossibility.Theyconsistedofcountlessmyriads
offragmentsperhapstheremainsofamoonthathadcometoocloseandhad
beentorntopiecesbythegreatplanet'stidalpull.Whatevertheirorigin,the
humanracewasfortunatetohaveseensuchawonderitcouldexistforonlya
briefmomentoftimeinthehistoryoftheSolarSystem.

Aslongagoas1945,aBritishastronomerhadpointedoutthattherings
wereephemeralgravitationalforceswereatworkwhichwouldsoondestroythem.
Takingthisargumentbackwardintime,itthereforefollowedthattheyhadbeen
createdonlyrecentlyameretwoorthreemillionyearsago.
Butnoonehadevergiventheslightestthoughttothecuriouscoincidence
thattheringsofSaturnhadbeenbornatthesametimeasthehumanrace.

34TheOrbitingIce

Discoverywasnowdeepintothewiderangingsystemofmoons,andthegreat
planetitselfwaslessthanadayahead.Theshiphadlongsincepassedthe
boundarysetbyoutermostPhoebe,movingbackwardinawildlyeccentricorbit
eightmillionmilesfromitsprimary.AheadofitnowlayJapetus,Hyperion,
Titan,Rhea,Dione,Tethys,Enceladus,Mimas,Janusandtheringsthemselves.
Allthesatellitesshowedamazeofsurfacedetailinthetelescope,andBowman
hadrelayedbacktoEarthasmanyphotographsashecouldtake.Titanalone
threethousandmilesindiameter,andaslargeastheplanetMercurywould
occupyasurveyteamformonthshecouldgiveit,andallitscoldcompanions,
onlythebriefestofglances.Therewasnoneedformorealreadyhewasquite
certainthatJapetuswasindeedhisgoal.
Alltheothersatelliteswerepittedbyoccasionalmeteorcratersthough
theseweremuchfewerthanonMarsandshowedapparentlyrandompatternsof
lightandshade,withhereandthereafewbrightspotsthatwereprobably
patchesoffrozengas.Japetusalonepossessedadistinctivegeography,anda
verystrangeoneindeed.
Onehemisphereofthesatellite,which,likeitscompanions,turnedthesame
facealwaystowardSaturn,wasextremelydark,andshowedverylittlesurface
detail.Incompletecontrast,theotherwasdominatedbyabrilliantwhiteoval,
aboutfourhundredmileslongandtwohundredwide.Atthemoment,onlypartof
thisstrikingformationwasindaylight,butthereasonforJapetus's
extraordinaryvariationsinbrilliancewasnowquiteobvious.Onthewestern
sideofthemoon'sorbit,thebrightellipsewaspresentedtowardtheSunand
theEarth.Ontheeasternphase,thepatchwasturnedaway,andonlythepoorly
reflectinghemispherecouldbeobserved.
Thegreatellipsewasperfectlysymmetrical,straddlingtheequatorof
Japetuswithitsmajoraxispointingtowardthepolesanditwassosharpedged
thatitalmostlookedasifsomeonehadcarefullypaintedahugewhiteovalon

thefaceofthelittlemoon.Itwascompletelyflat,andBowmanwonderedifit
couldbealakeoffrozenliquidthoughthatwouldhardlyaccountforits
startlinglyartificialappearance.
ButhehadlittletimetostudyJapetusonhiswayintotheheartofthe
Saturniansystem,fortheclimaxofthevoyageDiscovery'slastperturbation
maneuverwasrapidlyapproaching.IntheJupiterflyby,theshiphadusedthe
gravitationalfieldoftheplanettoincreasehervelocity.Nowshemustdothe
reverseshehadtoloseasmuchspeedaspossible,lestsheescapefromthe
SolarSystemandflyontothestars.Herpresentcoursewasonedesignedto
trapher,sothatshewouldbecomeanothermoonofSaturn,shuttlingbackand
forthalonganarrow,twomillionmilelongellipse.Atitsnearpointitwould
almostgrazetheplanetatitsfarone,itwouldtouchtheorbitofJapetus.
ThecomputersbackonEarth,thoughtheirinformationwasalwaysthreehours
late,hadassuredBowmanthateverythingwasinorder.Velocityandaltitude
werecorrecttherewasnothingmoretobedone,untilthemomentofclosest
approach.
Theimmensesystemofringsnowspannedthesky,andalreadytheshipwas
passingoveritsoutermostedge.Ashelookeddownuponthemfromaheightof
sometenthousandmiles,Bowmancouldseethroughthetelescopethattherings
weremadelargelyofice,glitteringandscintillatinginthelightoftheSun.
Hemighthavebeenflyingoverasnowstormthatoccasionallyclearedtoreveal,
wherethegroundshouldhavebeen,bafflingglimpsesofnightandstars.
AsDiscoverycurvedstillclosertowardSaturn,theSunslowlydescended
towardthemultiplearchesoftherings.Nowtheyhadbecomeaslim,silver
bridgespanningtheentireskythoughtheyweretootenuoustodomorethandim
thesunlight,theirmyriadsofcrystalsrefractedandscattereditindazzling
pyrotechnics.AndastheSunmovedbehindthethousandmilewidedriftsof
orbitingice,paleghostsofitselfmarchedandmergedacrossthesky,andthe
heavenswerefilledwithshiftingflaresandflashes.ThentheSunsankbelow
therings,sothattheyframeditwiththeirarches,andthecelestialfireworks
ceased.
Alittlelater,theshipcurvedintotheshadowofSaturn,asitmadeits
closestapproachoverthenightsideoftheplanet.Aboveshonethestarsand
theringsbelowlayadimlyvisibleseaofclouds.Therewerenoneofthe
mysteriouspatternsofluminositythathadglowedintheJoviannightperhaps
Saturnwastoocoldforsuchdisplays.Themottledcloudscapewasrevealedonly
bytheghostlyradiancereflectedbackfromthecirclingicebergs,still
illuminatedbythehiddenSun.
Butinthecenterofthearchtherewasawide,darkgap,likethemissing
spanofanuncompletedbridge,wheretheshadowoftheplanetlayacrossits

rings.
RadiocontactwithEarthhadbeenbroken,andcouldnotberesumeduntilthe
shipemergedfromtheeclipsingbulkofSaturn.Itwasperhapsaswellthat
Bowmanwastoobusynowtothinkofhissuddenlyenhancedlonelinessforthe
nextfewhours,everysecondwouldbeoccupiedashecheckedthebraking
maneuvers,alreadyprogrammedbythecomputersonEarth.
Aftertheirmonthsofidleness,themainthrustersbegantoblastouttheir
mileslongcataractsofglowingplasma.Gravityreturned,thoughbriefly,tothe
weightlessworldofthecontroldeck.Andhundredsofmilesbelow,thecloudsof
methaneandfrozenammoniablazedwithalightthattheyhadneverknownbefore,
asDiscoveryswept,afierceandtinysun,throughtheSaturniannight.
Atlast,thepaledawnlayaheadtheship,movingmoreandmoreslowlynow,
wasemergingintoday.ItcouldnolongerescapefromtheSun,orevenfrom
Saturnbutitwasstillmovingswiftlyenoughtoriseawayfromtheplanet
untilitgrazedtheorbitofJapetus,twomillionmilesout.
ItwouldtakeDiscoveryfourteendaystomakethatclimb,asshecoasted
oncemore,thoughinreverseorder,acrossthepathsofalltheinnermoons.One
byoneshewouldcutthroughtheorbitsofJanus,Mimas,Enceladus,Tethys,
Dione,Rhea,Titan,Hyperionworldsbearingthenamesofgodsandgoddesses
whohadvanishedonlyyesterday,astimewascountedhere.
ThenshewouldmeetJapetus,andmustmakeherrendezvous.Ifshefailed,
shewouldfallbacktowardSaturnandrepeathertwentyeightdayellipse
indefinitely.
TherewouldbenochanceforasecondrendezvousifDiscoverymissedonthis
attempt.Thenexttimearound,Japetuswouldbefaraway,almostontheother
sideofSaturn.
Itwastruethattheywouldmeetagain,whentheorbitsofshipand
satellitemeshedforasecondtime.Butthatappointmentwassomanyyearsahead
that,whateverhappened,Bowmanknewhewouldnotwitnessit.

35TheEyeofJapetus

WhenBowmanhadfirstobservedJapetus,thatcuriousellipticalpatch,of
brilliancehadbeenpartlyinshadow,illuminatedonlybythelightofSaturn.
Now,astheMoonmovedslowlyalongitsseventyninedayorbit,itwasemerging

intothefulllightofday.
Ashewatcheditgrow,andDiscoveryrosemoreandmoresluggishlytoward
herinevitableappointment,Bowmanbecameawareofadisturbingobsession.He
nevermentioneditinhisconversationsor,rather,hisrunningcommentaries
withMissionControl,becauseitmighthaveseemedthathewasalreadysuffering
fromdelusions.
Perhaps,indeed,hewasforhehadhalfconvincedhimselfthatthebright
ellipsesetagainstthedarkbackgroundofthesatellitewasahuge,emptyeye,
staringathimasheapproached.Itwasaneyewithoutapupil,fornowhere
couldheseeanythingtomaritsperfectblankness.
Notuntiltheshipwasonlyfiftythousandmilesout,andJapetuswastwice
aslargeasEarth'sfamiliarMoon,didhenoticethetinyblackdotattheexact
centeroftheellipse.Buttherewasnotime,then,foranydetailed
examinationtheterminalmaneuverswerealreadyuponhim.
Forthelasttime,Discovery'smaindrivereleaseditsenergies.Forthe
lasttime,theincandescentfuryofdyingatomsblazedamongthemoonsof
Saturn.ToDavidBowman,thefaroffwhisperandrisingthrustofthejets
broughtasenseofprideandofsadness.Thesuperbengineshaddonetheir
dutywithflawlessefficiency.TheyhadbroughttheshipfromEarthtoJupiter
toSaturnnowthiswastheverylasttimethattheywouldeveroperate.When
Discoveryhademptiedherpropellanttanks,shewouldbeashelplessandinert
asanycometorasteroid,apowerlessprisonerofgravitation.Evenwhenthe
rescueshiparrivedafewyearshence,itwouldnotbeaneconomicalproposition
torefuelher,sothatshecouldfightherwaybacktoEarth.Shewouldbean
eternallyorbitingmonumenttotheearlydaysofplanetaryexploration.
Thethousandsofmilesshranktohundreds,andastheydidso,thefuel
gaugesdroppedswiftlytowardzero.Atthecontrolpanel,Bowman'seyes
flickeredanxiouslybackandforthoverthesituationdisplay,andthe
improvisedchartswhichhenowhadtoconsultforanyrealtimedecisions.It
wouldbeanappallinganticlimaxif,havingsurvivedsomuch,hefailedtomake
rendezvousthroughlackofafewpoundsoffuel.
Thewhistleofthejetsfaded,asthemainthrustdiedandonlytheverniers
continuedtonudgeDiscoverygentlyintoorbit.Japetuswasnowagiantcrescent
thatfilledtheskyuntilthismoment,Bowmanhadalwaysthoughtofitasa
tiny,insignificantobjectasindeeditwascomparedwiththeworldaround
whichitcircled.Now,asitloomedmenacinglyabovehim,itseemedenormousa
cosmichammerpoisedtocrushDiscoverylikeanutshell.
Japetuswasapproachingsoslowlythatitscarcelyseemedtomove,andit
wasimpossibletotelltheexactmomentwhenitmadethesubtlechangefroman

astronomicalbodytoalandscape,onlyfiftymilesbelow.Thefaithfulverniers
gavetheirlastspurtsofthrust,thencloseddownforever.Theshipwasinits
finalorbit,completingonerevolutioneverythreehoursatamereeighthundred
milesanhourallthespeedthatwasrequiredinthisfeeblegravitational
field.

Discoveryhasbecomeasatelliteofasatellite.

36BigBrother

"I'mcomingroundtothedaylightsideagain,andit'sjustasIreportedon
thelastorbit.Thisplaceseemstohaveonlytwokindsofsurfacematerial.The
blackstufflooksburned,almostlikecharcoal,andwiththesamekindof
textureasfarasIcanjudgeinthetelescope.Infact,itremindsmeverymuch
ofburnedtoast.
"Istillcan'tmakeanysenseofthewhitearea.Itstartsatanabsolutely
sharpedgedboundary,andshowsnosurfacedetailatall.Itcouldevenbea
liquidit'sflatenough.Idon'tknowwhatimpressionyou'vegotfromthe
videosI'vetransmitted,butifyoupictureaseaoffrozenmilkyou'llgetthe
ideaexactly.
"Itcouldevenbesomeheavygasno,Isupposethat'simpossible.
SometimesIgetthefeelingthatit'smoving,veryslowly:butIcanneverbe
sure.
I'moverthewhiteareaagain,onmythirdorbit.ThistimeIhopetopass
closertothatmarkIspottedatitsverycenter,whenIwasonmywayin.
Ifmycalculationsarecorrect,Ishouldgowithinfiftymilesofit
whateveritis.
Yes,there'ssomethingahead,justwhereIcalculated.It'scomingupover
thehorizonandsoisSaturn,inalmostthesamequarteroftheskyI'll
movetothetelescope...
"Hello!Itlookslikesomekindofbuildingcomplefelyblackquitehard
tosee.Nowindowsoranyotherfeatures.Justabig,verticalslabitmustbe
atleastamilehightobevisiblefromthisdistance.Itremindsmeof
course!It'sjustlikethethingyoufoundontheMoon!ThisisTMAl'sbig

brother!"

37Experiment

CallittheStarCrate.
Forthreemillionyears,ithadcircledSaturn,waitingforamomentof
destinythatmightnevercome.Initsmaking,amoonhadbeenshattered,andthe
debrisofitscreationorbitedstill.
Nowthelongwaitwasending.Onyetanotherworld,intelligencehadbeen
bornandwasescapingfromitsplanetarycradle.Anancientexperimentwasabout
toreachitsclimax.
Thosewhohadbegunthatexperiment,solongago,hadnotbeenmen or
evenremotelyhuman.Buttheywerefleshandblood,andwhentheylookedout
acrossthedeepsofspace,theybadfeltawe,andwonder,andloneliness.As
soonastheypossessedthepower,theysetforthforthestars.
Intheirexplorations,theyencounteredlifeinmanyforms,andwatchedthe
workingsofevolutiononathousandworlds.Theysawhowoftenthefirstfaint
sparksofintelligenceflickeredanddiedinthecosmicnight.
Andbecause,inallthegalaxy,theyhadfoundnothingmorepreciousthan
Mind,theyencourageditsdawningeverywhere.Theybecamefarmersinthefields
ofstarstheysowed,andsometimestheyreaped.
Andsometimes,dispassionately,theyhadtoweed.
Thegreatdinosaurshadlongsinceperishedwhenthesurveyshipenteredthe
SolarSystemafteravoyagethathadalreadylastedathousandyears.Itswept
pastthefrozenouterplanets,pausedbrieflyabovethedesertsofdyingMars,
andpresentlylookeddownonEarth.
Spreadoutbeneaththem,theexplorerssawaworldswarmingwithlife.For
yearstheystudied,collected,catalogued.Whentheyhadlearnedallthatthey
could,theybegantomodify.Theytinkeredwiththedestinyofmanyspecies,on
landandintheocean.Butwhichoftheirexperimentswouldsucceedtheycould
notknowforatleastamillionyears.
Theywerepatient,buttheywerenotyetimmortal.Therewassomuchtodo
inthisuniverseofahundredbillionsuns,andotherworldswerecalling.So

theysetoutoncemoreintotheabyss,knowingthattheywouldnevercomethis
wayagain.
Norwasthereanyneed.Theservantstheyhadleftbehindwoulddotherest.
OnEarth,theglacierscameandwent,whileabovethemthechangelessMoon
stillcarrieditssecret.Withayetslowerrhythmthanthepolarice,thetides
ofcivilizationebbedandflowedacrossthegalaxy.Strangeandbeautifuland
terribleempiresroseandfell,andpassedontheirknowledgetotheir
successors.Earthwasnotforgotten,butanothervisitwouldservelittle
purpose.Itwasoneofamillionsilentworlds,fewofwhichwouldeverspeak.
Andnow,outamongthestars,evolutionwasdrivingtowardnewgoals.The
firstexplorersofEarthhadlongsincecometothelimitsoffleshandblood
assoonastheirmachineswerebetterthantheirbodies,itwastimetomove.
Firsttheirbrains,andthentheirthoughtsalone,theytransferredintoshining
newhomesofmetalandofplastic.
Inthese,theyroamedamongthestars.Theynolongerbuiltspaceships.They
werespaceships.
ButtheageoftheMachineentitiesswiftlypassed.Intheirceaseless
experimenting,theyhadlearnedtostoreknowledgeinthestructureofspace
itself,andtopreservetheirthoughtsforeternityinfrozenlatticesoflight.
Theycouldbecomecreaturesofradiation,freeatlastfromthetyrannyof
matter.
Intopureenergy,therefore,theypresentlytransformedthemselvesandona
thousandworlds,theemptyshellstheyhaddiscardedtwitchedforawhileina
mindlessdanceofdeath,thencrumbledintorusty
Nowtheywerelordsofthegalaxy,andbeyondthereachoftime.Theycould
roveatwillamongthestars,andsinklikeasubtlemistthroughthevery
intersticesofspace.Butdespitetheirgodlikepowers,theyhadnotwholly
forgottentheirorigin,inthewarmslimeofavanishedsea.
Andtheystillwatchedovertheexperimentstheirancestorshadstarted,so
longago.

38TheSentinel

"Theairintheshipisgettingquitefoul,andIhaveaheadachemostof

thetime.There'sstillplentyofoxygen,butthepurifiersneverreallycleaned
upallthemessesaftertheliquidsaboardstartedboilingintovacuum.When
thingsgettoobad,Igodownintothegarageandbleedoffsomepureoxygen
fromthepods.
"There'sbeennoreactiontoanyofmysignals,andbecauseofmyorbital
inclination,I'mgettingslowlyfartherandfartherawayfromTMA2.
Incidentally,thenameyou'vegivenitisdoublyinappropriatethere'sstill
notraceofamagneticfield.
"Atthemomentmyclosestapproachissixtymilesitwillincreasetoabout
ahundredasJapetusrotatesbeneathme,thendropbacktozero.I'llpass
directlyoverthethinginthirtydaysbutthat'stoolongtowait,andthen
itwillbeindarkness,anyway.
"Evennow,it'sonlyinsightforafewminutesbeforeitfallsbelowthe
horizonagain.It'sdamnfrustratingIcan'tmakeanyseriousobservations.
"SoI'dlikeyourapprovalofthisplan.Thespacepodshaveampledeltavee
foratouchdownandareturntotheship.Iwanttogoextravehicularandmakea
closesurveyoftheobject.Ifitappearssafe,I'lllandbesideitorevenon
topofit.
"TheshipwillstillbeabovemyhorizonwhileI'mgoingdown,soIwon'tbe
outoftouchformorethanninetyminutes.
'Tmconvincedthatthisistheonlythingtodo.I'vecomeabillionmiles
Idon'twanttobestoppedbythelastsixty."

Forweeks,asitstaredforeverSunwardwithitsstrangesenses,theStar
Gatehadwatchedtheapproachingship.Itsmakershadprepareditformany
things,andthiswasoneofthem.Itrecognizedwhatwasclimbinguptowardit
fromthewarmheartoftheSolarSystem.
Ifithadbeenalive,itwouldhavefeltexcitement,butsuchanemotionwas
whollybeyonditspowers.Eveniftheshiphadpasseditby,itwouldnothave
knowntheslightesttraceofdisappointment.Ithadwaitedthreemillionyears
itwaspreparedtowaitforeternity.
Itobserved,andnoted,andtooknoaction,asthevisitorcheckeditsspeed
withjetsofincandescentgas.Presentlyitfeltthegentletouchofradiations,
tryingtoprobeitssecrets.Andstillitdidnothing.
Nowtheshipwasinorbit,circlinglowabovethesurfaceofthisstrangely

piebaldmoon.Itbegantospeak,withblastsofradiowaves,countingoutthe
primenumbersfrom1to11,overandoveragain.Soonthesegavewaytomore
complexsignals,atmanyfrequenciesultraviolet,infrared,Xrays.TheStar
Gatemadenoreplyithadnothingtosay.
Therewasalongpause,then,beforeitobservedthatsomethingwasfalling
downtowarditfromtheorbitingship.Itsearcheditsmemories,andthelogic
circuitsmadetheirdecisions,accordingtotheordersgiventhemlongago.
BeneaththecoldlightofSaturn,theStarGateawakeneditsslumbering
powers.

39IntotheEye

Discoverylookedjustashehadlastseenherfromspace,floatinginlunar
orbitwiththeMoontakinguphalfthesky.Perhapstherewasoneslightchange
becouldnotbesure,butsomeofthepaintofherexternallettering,
announcingthepurposeofvarioushatches,connections,umbilicalplugs,and
otherattachment,hadfadedduringitslongexposuretotheunshieldedSun.
ThatSunwasnowanobjectthatnomanwouldhaverecognized.Itwasfartoo
brighttobeastar,butonecouldlookdirectlyatitstinydiskwithout
discomfort.ItgavenoheatatallwhenBowmanheldhisunglovedhandsinits
rays,astheystreamedthroughthespacepod'swindow,hecouldfeelnothing
uponhisskin.Hemighthavebeentryingtowarmhimselfbythelightofthe
Moonnoteventhealienlandscapefiftymilesbelowremindedhimmorevividly
ofhisremotenessfromEarth.
Nowhewasleaving,perhapsforthelasttime,themetalworldthathadbeen
hishomeforsomanymonths.Evenifheneverreturned,theshipwouldcontinue
toperformitsduty,broadcastinginstrumentreadingsbacktoEarthuntilthere
wassomefinal,catastrophicfailureinitscircuits.
Andifhedidreturn?Well,hecouldkeepalive,andperhapsevensane,for
afewmoremonths.Butthatwasall,forthehibernationsystemswereuseless
withnocomputertomonitorthem.HecouldnotpossiblysurviveuntilDiscovery
IImadeitsrendezvouswithJapetus,fourorfiveyearshence.
Heputthesethoughtsbehindhim,asthegoldencrescentofSaturnrosein
theskyahead.Inallhistory,hewastheonlymantohaveseenthissight.To
allothereyes,Saturnhadalwaysshownitswholeilluminateddiskturnedfull
towardtheSun.Nowitwasadelicatebow,withtheringsformingathinline

acrossitlikeanarrowabouttobeloosed,intothefaceoftheSunitself.
AlsointhelineoftheringswasthebrightstarofTitan,andthefainter
sparksoftheothermoons.Beforethiscenturywashalfgone,menwouldhave
visitedthemallbutwhateversecretstheymighthold,hewouldneverknow.
Thesharpedgedboundaryoftheblindwhiteeyewassweepingtowardhim
therewasonlyahundredmilestogo,andhewouldbeoverhistargetinless
thantenminutes.Hewishedthattherewassomewayoftellingifhiswordswere
reachingEarth,nowanhourandahalfawayatthespeedoflight.Itwouldbe
theultimateironyif,throughsomebreakdownintherelaysystem,he
disappearedintosilence,andnooneeverknewwhathadhappenedtohim.
Discoverywasstillabrilliantstarintheblackskyfarabove.Hewas
pullingaheadashegainedspeedduringhisdescent,butsoonthepod'sbraking
jetswouldslowhimdownandtheshipwouldsailonoutofsight leavinghim
aloneonthisshiningplainwiththedarkmysteryatitscenter.
Ablockofebonywasclimbingabovethehorizon,eclipsingthestarsahead.
Herolledthepodarounditsgyros,andusedfullthrusttobreakhisorbital
speed.Inalong,flatarc,hedescendedtowardthesurfaceofJapetus.
Onaworldofhighergravity,themaneuverwouldhavebeenfartoo
extravagantoffuel.Butherethespacepodweighedonlyascoreofpoundshe
hadseveralminutesofhoveringtimebeforehewouldcutdangerouslyintohis
reserveandbestrandedwithoutanyhopeofreturntothestillorbiting
Discovery.Not,perhaps,thatitmademuchdifference...
Hisaltitudewasstillaboutfivemiles,andhewasheadingstraighttoward
thehuge,darkmassthatsoaredinsuchgeometricalperfectionabovethe
featurelessplain.Itwasasblankastheflatwhitesurfacebeneathuntilnow,
hehadnotappreciatedhowenormousitreallywas.Therewereveryfewsingle
buildingsonEarthaslargeasthishiscarefullymeasuredphotographs
indicatedaheightofalmosttwothousandfeet.Andasfarascouldbejudged,
itsproportionswerepreciselythesameasTMAl'sthatcuriousratio1to4
to9.
"I'monlythreemilesawaynow,holdingaltitudeatfourthousandfeet.
Stillnotasignofactivitynothingonanyoftheinstruments.Thefacesseem
absolutelysmoothandpolished.Surelyyou'dexpectsomemeteoritedamageafter
allthistime!
"Andthere'snodebrisontheIsupposeonecouldcallittheroof.No
signofanyopening,either.I'dbeenhopingtheremightbesomewayin.
"NowI'mrightaboveit,hoveringfivehundredfeetup.Idon'twantto

wasteanytime,sinceDiscoverywillsoonbeoutofrange.I'mgoingtoland.
It'scertainlysolidenoughandifitisn'tI'llblastoffatonce.
"Justaminutethat'sodd"
Bowman'svoicediedintothesilenceofutterbewilderment.Hewasnot
alarmedheliterallycouldnotdescribewhathewasseeing.
Hehadbeenhangingabovealarge,flatrectangle,eighthundredfeetlong
andtwohundredwide,madeofsomethingthatlookedassolidasrock.Butnowit
seemedtoberecedingfrom himitwasexactlylikeoneofthoseoptical
illusions,whenathreedimensionalobjectcan,byaneffortofwill,appearto
turninsideoutitsnearandfarsidessuddenlyinterchanging.
Thatwashappeningtothishuge,apparentlysolidstructure.Impossibly,
incredibly,itwasnolongeramonolithrearinghighaboveaflatplain.What
hadseemedtobeitsroofhaddroppedawaytoinfinitedepthsforonedizzy
moment,heseemedtobelookingdownintoaverticalshaftarectangularduct
whichdefiedthelawsofperspective,foritssizedidnotdecreasewith
distance...

TheEyeofJapetushadblinked,asiftoremoveanirritatingspeckofdust.
DavidBowmanhadtimeforjustonebrokensentencewhichthewaitingmenin
MissionControl,ninehundredmillionmilesawayandeightyminutesinthe
future,werenevertoforget:
"Thething'shollowitgoesonforeverandohmyGod!it'sfullof
stars!"

40Exit

TheStarGateopened.TheStarGateclosed.
Inamomentoftimetooshorttobemeasured,Spaceturnedandtwistedupon
itself.
ThenJapetuswasaloneoncemore,asithadbeenforthreemillionyears
alone,exceptforadesertedbutnotyetderelictship,sendingbacktoits
makersmessageswhichtheycouldneitherbelievenorunderstand.

VITHROUGHTHESTARGATE
41GrandCentral

Therewasnosenseofmotion,buthewasfallingtowardthoseimpossible
stars,shiningthereinthedarkheartofamoon.Nothatwasnotwherethey
reallywere,hefeltcertain.Hewished,nowthatitwasfartoolate,thathe
hadpaidmoreattentiontothosetheoriesofhyperspace,oftransdimensional
ducts.ToDavidBowman,theyweretheoriesnolonger.
PerhapsthatmonolithonJapetuswashollowperhapsthe"roof"wasonlyan
illusion,orsomekindofdiaphragmthathadopenedtolethimthrough.(But
intowhat?)Asfarashecouldtrusthissenses,heappearedtobedropping
verticallydownahugerectangularshaft,severalthousandfeetdeep.Hewas
movingfasterandfasterbutthefarendneverchangeditssize,andremained
alwaysatthesamedistancefromhim.
Onlythestarsmoved,atfirstsoslowlythatitwassometimebeforehe
realizedthattheywereescapingoutoftheframethatheldthem.Butina
littlewhileitwasobviousthatthestarfieldwasexpanding,asifitwas
rushingtowardhimataninconceivablespeed.
Theexpansionwasnonlinearthestarsatthecenterhardlyseemedtomove,
whilethosetowardtheedgeacceleratedmoreandmoreswiftly,untiltheybecame
streaksoflightjustbeforetheyvanishedfromview.
Therewerealwaysotherstoreplacethem,flowingintothecenterofthe
fieldfromanapparentlyinexhaustiblesource.Bowmanwonderedwhatwouldhappen
ifastarcamestraighttowardhimwoulditcontinuetoexpanduntilheplunged
directlyintothefaceofasun?Butnotonecamenearenoughtoshowadisk
eventuallytheyallveeredaside,andstreakedovertheedgeoftheir
rectangularframe.
Andstillthefarendoftheshaftcamenocloser.Itwasalmostasifthe
wallsweremovingwithhim,carryinghimtohisunknowndestination.Orperhaps
hewasreallymotionless,andspacewasmovingpasthim...
Notonlyspace,hesuddenlyrealized,wasinvolvedinwhateverwashappening
tohimnow.Theclockonthepod'ssmallinstrumentpanelwasalsobehaving
strangely.
Normally,thenumbersinthetenthsofasecondwindowflickeredpastso

quicklythatitwasalmostimpossibletoreadthemnowtheywereappearingand
disappearingatdiscreteintervals,andhecouldcountthemoffonebyone
withoutdifficulty.Thesecondsthemselveswerepassingwithincredible
slowness,asiftimeitselfwerecomingtoastop.Atlast,thetenthofa
secondcounterfrozebetween5and6.
Yethecouldstillthink,andevenobserve,astheebonwallsflowedpastat
aspeedthatmighthavebeenanythingbetweenzeroandamilliontimesthe
velocityoflight.Somehow,hewasnotintheleastsurprised,norwashe
alarmed.Onthecontrary,hefeltasenseofcalmexpectation,suchashehad
onceknownwhenthespacemedicshadtestedhimwithhallucinogenicdrugs.The
worldaroundhimwasstrangeandwonderful,buttherewasnothingtofear.He
hadtraveledthesemillionsofmilesinsearchofmysteryandnow,itseemed,
themysterywascomingtohim.
Therectangleaheadwasgrowinglighter.Thehominousstarstreakswere
palingagainstamilkysky,whosebrillianceincreasedmomentbymoment.It
seemedasifthespacepodwasheadingtowardabankofcloud,uniformly
Illuminatedbytheraysofaninvisiblesun.
Hewasemergingfromthetunnel.Thefarend,whichuntilnowhadremained
atthatsameindeterminatedistance,neitherapproachingnorreceding,had
suddenlystartedtoobeythenormallawsofperspective.Itwascomingcloser,
andsteadilywideningbeforehim.Atthesametime,hefeltthathewasmoving
upward,andforafleetinginstanthewonderedifhehadfallenrightthrough
Japetusandwasnowascendingfromtheotherside.Butevenbeforethespacepod
soaredoutintotheopenheknewthatthisplacehadnothingtodowithJapetus,
orwithanyworldwithintheexperienceofman.
Therewasnoatmosphere,forhecouldseealldetailsunblurred,cleardown
toanincrediblyremoteandflathorizon.Hemustbeaboveaworldofenormous
sizeperhapsonemuchlargerthanEarth.Yetdespiteitsextent,allthe
surfacethatBowmancouldseewastessellatedintoobviouslyartificia1patterns
thatmusthavebeenmilesonaside.Itwaslikethejigsawpuzzleofagiant
thatplayedwithplanetsandatthecentersofmanyofthosesquaresand
trianglesandpolygonsweregapingblackshaftstwinsofthechasmfromwhich
hehadjustemerged.
Yettheskyabovewasstrangerand,initsway,moredisturbingthan
eventheimprobablelandbeneath.Fortherewerenostarsneitherwastherethe
blacknessofspace.Therewasonlyasoftlyglowingmilkiness,thatgavethe
impressionofinfinitedistance.Bowmanrememberedadescriptionhehadonce
heardofthedreadedAntarctic"whiteout""likebeinginsideapingpong
ball."Thosewordscouldbeappliedperfectlytothisweirdplace,butthe
explanationmustbeutterlydifferent.Thisskycouldbenometeorological
effectofmistandsnowtherewasaperfectvacuumhere.

Then,asBowman'seyesgrewaccustomedtothenacreousglowthatfilledthe
heavens,hebecameawareofanotherdetail.Theskywasnot,ashehadthought
atfirstglance,completelyempty.Dottedoverhead,quitemotionlessandforming
apparentlyrandompatterns,weremyriadsoftinyblackspecks.
Theyweredifficulttosee,fortheyweremerepointsofdarkness,butonce
detectedtheywerequiteunmistakable.TheyremindedBowmanofsomething
somethingsofamiliar,yetsoinsane,thatherefusedtoaccepttheparallel,
untillogicforcedituponhim.
Thoseblackholesinthewhiteskywerestarshemighthavebeenlookingat
aphotographicnegativeoftheMilkyWay.
WhereinGod'snameamI?Bowmanaskedhimselfandevenasheposedthe
question,hefeltcertainthathecouldneverknowtheanswer.Itseemedthat
spacehadbeenturnedinsideout:thiswasnotaplaceforman.Thoughthe
capsulewascomfortablywarm,hefeltsuddenlycold,andwasafflictedbyan
almostuncontrollabletrembling.Hewantedtoclosehiseyes,andshutoutthe
pearlynothingnessthatsurroundedhimbutthatwastheactofacoward,andhe
wouldnotyieldtoit.
Thepiercedandfacetedplanetslowlyrolledbeneathhim,withoutanyreal
changeofscenery.Heguessedthathewasabouttenmilesabovethesurface,and
shouldbeabletoseeanysignsoflifewithease.
Butthiswholeworldwasdesertedintelligencehadcomehere,workedits
willuponit,andgoneitswayagain.Thenhenoticed,bumpedabovetheflat
plainperhapstwentymilesaway,aroughlycylindricalpileofdebristhatcould
onlybethecarcassofagiganticship.Itwastoodistantforhimtoseeany
details,anditpassedoutofsightwithinafewseconds,buthecouldmakeout
brokenribsanddullygleamingsheetsofmetalthathadbeenpartlypeeledoff
liketheskinofanorange.Hewonderedhowmanythousandsofyearsthewreck
hadlainhereonthisdesertedcheckerboardandwhatmannerofcreatureshad
saileditbetweenthestars.
Thenheforgotthederelict,forsomethingwascomingupoverthehorizon.
Atfirstitlookedlikeaflatdisk,butthatwasbecauseitwasheading
almostdirectlytowardhim.Asitapproachedandpassedbeneath,hesawthatit
wasspindleshaped,andseveralhundredfeetlong.Thoughtherewerefaintly
visiblebandshereandtherealongitslength,itwashardtofocusuponthem
theobjectappearedtobevibrating,orperhapsspinning,ataveryrapidrate.
Ittaperedtoapointateitherend,andtherewasnosignofpropulsion.
Onlyonethingaboutitwasfamiliartohumaneyes,andthatwasitscolor.If

itwasindeedasolidartifact,andnotanopticalphantom,thenitsmakers
perhapssharedsomeoftheemotionsofmen.
Buttheycertainlydidnotsharetheirlimitations,forthespindleappeared
tobemadeofgold.
Bowmanmovedhisheadtotherearviewsystemtowatchthethingdrop
behind.Ithadignoredhimcompletely,andnowhesawthatitwasfallingoutof
theskydowntowardoneofthosethousandsofgreatslots.Afewsecondslater
itdisappearedinafinalflashofgoldasitdivedintotheplanet.Hewas
aloneagain,beneaththatsinistersky,andthesenseofisolationand
remotenesswasmoreoverwhelmingthanever.
Thenhesawthathealsowassinkingdowntowardthemottledsurfaceofthe
giantworld,andthatanotheroftherectangularchasmsyawnedimmediately
below.Theemptyskyclosedabovehim,theclockcrawledtorest,andonceagain
hispodwasfallingbetweeninfiniteebonwalls,towardanotherdistantpatchof
stars.ButnowhewassurethathewasnotreturningtotheSolarSystem,andin
aflashofinsightthatmighthavebeenwhollyspurious,heknewwhatthisthing
mustsurelybe.
Itwassomekindofcosmicswitchingdevice,routingthetrafficofthe
starsthroughunimaginabledimensionsofspaceandtime.Hewaspassingthrough
aGrandCentralStationofthegalaxy.

42TheAlienSky

Farahead,thewallsoftheslotwerebecomingdimlyvisibleoncemore,in
thefaintlightdiffusingdownwardfromsomestillhiddensource.Andthenthe
darknesswasabruptlywhippedaway,asthetinyspacepodhurtledupwardintoa
skyablazewithstars.
Hewasbackinspaceasheknewit,butasingleglancetoldhimthathewas
lightcenturiesfromEarth.
Hedidnotevenattempttofindanyofthefamiliarconstellationsthat
sincethebeginningofhistoryhadbeenthefriendsofmanperhapsnoneofthe
starsthatnowblazedaroundhimhadeverbeenseenbytheunaidedhumaneye.
Mostofthemwereconcentratedinaglowingbelt,brokenhereandtherewith
darkbandsofobscuringcosmicdust,whichcompletelycircledthesky.Itwas
liketheMilkyWay,butscoresoftimesbrighterBowmanwonderedifthiswas

indeedhisowngalaxy,seenfromapointmuchclosertoitsbrilliant,crowded
center.
Hehopedthatitwasthenhewouldnotbesofarfromhome.Butthis,he
realizedatonce,wasachildishthought.Hewassoinconceivablyremotefrom
theSolarSystemthatitmadelittledifferencewhetherhewasinhisowngalaxy
orthemostdistantonethatanytelescopehadeverglimpsed.
Helookedbacktoseethethingfromwhichhewasrising,andhadanother
shock.Herewasnogiant,multifacetedworld,noranyduplicateofJapetus.
Therewasnothingexceptaninkyshadowagainstthestars,likeadoorway
openingfromadarkenedroomintoastilldarkernight.Evenashewatched,that
doorwayclosed.
Itdidnotrecedefromhimitslowlyfilledwithstars,asifarentinthe
fabricofspacehadbeenrepaired.Thenhewasalonebeneaththealiensky.
Thespacepodwasslowlyturning,andasitdidsoitbroughtfreshwonders
intoview.Firsttherewasaperfectlysphericalswarmofstars,becomingmore
andmorecloselypackedtowardthecenteruntilitsheartwasacontinuousglow
oflight.Itsouteredgeswereilldefinedaslowlythinninghaloofsunsthat
mergedimperceptiblyintothebackgroundofmoredistantstars.
Thisgloriousapparition,Bowmanknew,wasaglobularcluster.Hewas
lookinguponsomethingthatnohumaneyehadeverseen,saveasasmudgeof
lightinthefieldofatelescope.Hecouldnotrememberthedistancetothe
nearestknowncluster,buthewassurethattherewerenonewithinathousand
lightyearsoftheSolarSystem.
Thepodcontinueditsslowrotation,todiscloseanevenstrangersighta
hugeredsun,manytimeslargerthantheMoonasseenfromEarth.Bowmancould
lookstraightintoitsfacewithoutdiscomfortjudgingbyitscolor,itwasno
hotterthanaglowingcoal.Hereandthere,setintothesomberred,wererivers
ofbrightyellowincandescentAmazons,meanderingforthousandsofmiles
beforetheylostthemselvesinthedesertsofthisdyingsun.
Dying?Nothatwasawhollyfalseimpression,bornofhumanexperienceand
theemotionsarousedbythehuesofsunset,ortheglowoffadingembers.This
wasastarthathadleftbehindthefieryextravagancesofitsyouth,hadraced
throughthevioletsandbluesandgreensofthespectruminafewfleeting
billionsofyears,andnowhadsettleddowntoapeacefulmaturityof
unimaginablelength.Allthathadgonebeforewasnotathousandthofwhatwas
yettocomethestoryofthisstarhadbarelybegun.
Thepodhadceasedtorollthegreatredsunlaystraightahead.Though
therewasnosenseofmotion,Bowmanknewthathewasstillgrippedbywhatever

controllingforcehadbroughthimherefromSaturn.
AllthescienceandengineeringskillofEarthseemedhopelesslyprimitive
now,againstthepowersthatwerecarryinghimtosomeunimaginablefate.
Hestaredintotheskyahead,tryingtopickoutthegoaltowardwhichbe
wasbeingtakenperhapssomeplanetcirclingthisgreatsun.Buttherewas
nothingthatshowedanyvisiblediskorexceptionalbrightnessiftherewere
planetsorbitingherehecouldnotdistinguishthemfromthestellarbackground.
Thenhenoticedthatsomethingstrangewashappeningontheveryedgeofthe
sun'scrimsondisk.Awhiteglowhadappearedthere,andwasrapidlywaxingin
brilliancehewonderedifhewasseeingoneofthosesuddeneruptions,or
flares,thattroublemoststarsfromtimetotime.
Thelightbecamebrighterandblueritbegantospreadalongtheedgeof
thesun,whosebloodredhuespaledswiftlybycomparison.Itwasalmost,Bowman
toldhimself,smilingattheabsurdityofthethought,asifbewerewatching
sunriseonasun.
Andsoindeedhewas.Abovetheburninghorizonliftedsomethingnolarger
thanastar,butsobrilliantthattheeyecouldnotbeartolookuponit.A
merepointofbluewhiteradiance,likeanelectricarc,wasmovingat
unbelievablespeedacrossthefaceofthegreatsun.Itmustbeverycloseto
itsgiantcompanionforimmediatelybelowit,drawnupwardbyitsgravitational
pull,wasacolumnofflamethousandsofmileshigh.Itwasasifatidalwave
offirewasmarchingforeveralongtheequatorofthisstar,invainpursuitof
thesearingapparitioninitssky.
ThatpinpointofincandescencemustbeaWhiteDwarfoneofthosestrange,
fiercelittlestars,nolargerthantheEarth,yetcontainingamilliontimes
itsmass.SuchillmatchedstellarcoupleswerenotuncommonbutBowmanhad
neverdreamedthatonedayhewouldseesuchapairwithhisowneyes.
TheWhiteDwarfhadtransitedalmosthalfthediskofitscompanionit
musttakeonlyminutestomakeacompleteorbitwhenBowmanwasatlast
certainthathetoowasmoving.Aheadofhim,oneofthestarswasbecoming
rapidlybrighter,andwasbeginningtodriftagainstitsbackground.Itmustbe
somesmall,closebodyperhapstheworldtowardwhichhewastraveling.
Itwasuponhimwithunexpectedspeedandhesawthatitwasnotaworldat
all.
Adullygleamingcobweborlatticeworkofmetal,hundredsofmilesin
extent,grewoutofnowhereuntilitfilledthesky.Scatteredacrossits
continentwidesurfacewerestructuresthatmusthavebeenaslargeascities,

butwhichappearedtobemachines.Aroundmanyofthesewereassembledscoresof
smallerobjects,rangedinneatrowsandcolumns.Bowmanhadpassedseveralsuch
groupsbeforeherealizedthattheywerefleetsofspaceshipshewasflying
overagiganticorbitalparkinglot.
Becausetherewerenofamiliarobjectsbywhichhecouldjudgethescaleof
thesceneflashingbybelow,itwasalmostimpossibletoestimatethesizeof
thevesselshangingthereinspace.Buttheywerecertainlyenormoussomemust
havebeenmilesinlength.Theywereofmanydifferentdesignsspheres,
facetedcrystals,slimpencils,ovoids,disks.Thismustbeoneofthemeeting
placesforthecommerceofthestars.
Orithadbeenperhapsamillionyearsago.FornowherecouldBowmansee
anysignofactivitythissprawlingspaceportwasasdeadastheMoon.
Heknewitnotonlybytheabsenceofallmovement,butbysuchunmistakable
signsasgreatgapstorninthemetalcobwebbythewasplikeblunderingsof
asteroidsthatmusthavesmashedthroughit,eonsago.Thiswasnolongera
parkinglot:itwasacosmicjunkheap.
Hehadmisseditsbuildersbyages,andwiththatrealizationBowmanfelta
suddensinkingofhisheart.Thoughhehadnotknownwhattoexpect,atleasthe
hadhopedtomeetsomeintelligencefromthestars.
Now,itseemed,hewastoolate.Hehadbeencaughtinanancient,automatic
trap,setforsomeunknownpurpose,andstilloperatingwhenitsmakershadlong
sincepassedaway.Ithadswepthimacrossthegalaxy,anddumpedhim(withhow
manyothers?)inthiscelestialSargasso,doomedsoontodiewhenhisairwas
exhausted.
Well,itwasunreasonabletoexpectmore.Alreadyhehadseenwondersfor
whichmanymenwouldhavesacrificedtheirlives.Hethoughtofhisdead
companionshehadnocauseforcomplaint.
Thenhesawthatthederelictspaceportwasstillslidingpasthimwith
undiminishedspeed.Hewassweepingoveritsoutlyingsuburbsitsraggededge
wentby,andnolongerpartiallyeclipsedthestars.Inafewmoreminutes,it
hadfallenbehind.
Hisfatedidnotlieherebutfarahead,inthehuge,crimsonsuntoward
whichthespacepodwasnowunmistakablyfalling.

43Inferno

Nowtherewasonlytheredsun,fillingtheskyfromsidetoside.Hewasso
closethatitssurfacewasnolongerfrozenintoimmobilitybysheerscale.
Therewereluminousnodulesmovingtoandfro,cyclonesofascendingand
descendinggas,prominencesslowlyrocketingtowardtheheavens.Slowly?They
mustberisingatamillionmilesanhourfortheirmovementtobevisibleto
hiseye.
Hedidnotevenattempttograspthescaleoftheinfernotowardwhichhe
wasdescending.TheimmensitiesofSaturnandJupiterbaddefeatedhim,during
Discovery'sflybyinthatsolarsystemnowunknowngigamilesaway.But
everythinghesawherewasahundredtimeslargerstillhecoulddonothingbut
accepttheimagesthatwerefloodingintohismind,withoutattemptingto
interpretthem.
Asthatseaoffireexpandedbeneathhim,Bowmanshouldhaveknownfear
but,curiouslyenough,henowfeltonlyamildapprehension.Itwasnotthathis
mindwasbenumbedwithwonderslogictoldhimthathemustsurelybeunderthe
protectionofsomecontrollingandalmostomnipotentintelligence.Hewasnowso
closetotheredsunthathewouldhavebeenburnedupinamomentifits
radiationhadnotbeenheldatbaybysomeinvisiblescreen.Andduringhis
voyagehehadbeensubjectedtoaccelerationsthatshouldhavecrushedhim
instantlyyethehadfeltnothing.Ifsomuchtroublehadbeentakento
preservehim,therewasstillcauseforhope.
Thespacepodwasnowmovingalongashallowarcalmostparalleltothe
surfaceofthestar,butslowlydescendingtowardit.Andnow,forthefirst
time,Bowmanbecameawareofsounds.Therewasafaint,continuousroar,broken
fromtimetotimebycracklesliketearingpaper,ordistantlightning.This
couldbeonlythefeeblestechoofanunimaginablecacophonytheatmosphere
surroundinghimmustberackedbyconcussionsthatcouldtearanymaterial
objecttoatoms.Yethewasprotectedfromthisshatteringtumultaseffectively
asfromtheheat.
Thoughridgesofflamethousandsofmileshighwererisingandslowly
collapsingaroundhim,hewascompletelyinsulatedfromallthisviolence.The
energiesofthestarravedpasthim,asiftheywereinanotheruniversethe
podmovedsedatelythroughtheirmidst,unbuffetedandunscorched.
Bowman'seyes,nolongerhopelesslyconfusedbythestrangenessandgrandeur
ofthescene,begantopickoutdetailswhichmusthavebeentherebefore,but
whichhehadnotyetperceived.Thesurfaceofthisstarwasnoformlesschaos
therewaspatternhere,asineverythingthatnaturecreated.
HenoticedfirstthelittlewhirlpoolsofgasprobablynolargerthanAsia

orAfricathatwanderedoverthesurfaceofthestar.Sometimeshecouldlook
directlydownintooneofthem,toseedarker,coolerregionsfarbelow.
Curiouslyenough,thereappearedtobenosunspotsperhapstheywereadisease
peculiartothestarthatshoneonEarth.
Andtherewereoccasionalclouds,likewispsofsmokeblownbeforeagale.
Perhapstheywereindeedsmoke,forthissunwassocoldthatrealfirecould
existhere.Chemicalcompoundscouldbebornandcouldliveforafewseconds
beforetheywereagainrippedapartbythefiercernuclearviolencethat
surroundedthem.
Thehorizonwasgrowingbrighter,itscolorchangingfromgloomyredto
yellowtobluetoblisteringviolet.
TheWhiteDwarfwascomingupoverthehorizon,draggingitstidalwaveof
starstuffbehindit.
Bowmanshieldedhiseyesfromtheintolerableglareofthelittlesun,and
focusedonthetroubledstarscapewhichitsgravitationalfieldwassucking
skyward.OncehehadseenawaterspoutmovingacrossthefaceoftheCaribbean
thistowerofflamehadalmostthesameshape.Onlythescalewasslightly
different,foratitsbase,thecolumnwasprobablywiderthantheplanetEarth.
Andthen,immediatelybeneathhim,Bowmannoticedsomethingwhichwassurely
new,sincehecouldhardlyhaveoverlookeditifithadbeentherebefore.
Movingacrosstheoceanofglowinggasweremyriadsofbrightbeadstheyshone
withapearlylightwhichwaxedandwanedinaperiodofafewseconds.Andthey
werealltravelinginthesamedirection,likesalmonmovingupstreamsometimes
theyweavedbackandforthsothattheirpathsintertwined,buttheynever
touched.
Therewerethousandsofthem,andthelongerBowmanstared,themore
convincedhebecamethattheirmotionwaspurposeful.Theyweretoofarawayfor
himtomakeoutanydetailsoftheirstructurethatbecouldseethematallin
thiscolossalpanoramameantthattheymustbescoresperhapshundredsof
milesacross.Iftheywereorganizedentities,theywereleviathansindeed,
builttomatchthescaleoftheworldtheyinhabited.
Perhapstheywereonlycloudsofplasma,giventemporarystabilitybysome
oddcombinationofnaturalforcesliketheshortlivedspheresofball
lightningthatstillpuzzledterrestrialscientists.Thatwasaneasy,and
perhapssoothing,explanationbutasBowmanlookeddownuponthatstarwide
streaming,hecouldnotreallybelieveit.Thoseglitteringnodesoflightknew
wheretheyweregoingtheyweredeliberatelyconverginguponthepillaroffire
raisedbytheWhiteDwarfasitorbitedoverhead.

Bowmanstaredoncemoreatthatascendingcolumn,nowmarchingalongthe
horizonbeneaththetiny,massivestarthatruledit.Coulditbepure
imaginationorweretherepatchesofbrighterluminositycreepingupthat
greatgeyserofgas,asifmyriadsofshiningsparkshadcombinedintowhole
continentsofphosphorescence?
Theideawasalmostbeyondfantasy,butperhapshewaswatchingnothingless
thanamigrationfromstartostar,acrossabridgeoffire.Whetheritwasa
movementofmindless,cosmicbeastsdrivenacrossspacebysomelemminglike
urge,oravastconcourseofintelligententities,hewouldprobablyneverknow.
Hewasmovingthroughaneworderofcreation,ofwhichfewmenhadever
dreamed.Beyondtherealmsofseaandlandandairandspacelaytherealmsof
fire,whichhealonehadbeenprivilegedtoglimpse.Itwastoomuchtoexpect
thathewouldalsounderstand.

44Reception

Thepillaroffirewasmarchingovertheedgeofthesun,likeastorm
passingbeyondthehorizon.Thescurryingflecksoflightnolongermovedacross
theredlyglowingstarscapestillthousandsofmilesbelow.Insidehisspace
pod,protectedfromanenvironmentthatcouldannihilatehimwithina
millisecond,DavidBowmanawaitedwhateverhadbeenprepared.
TheWhiteDwarfwassinkingfastasithurtledalongitsorbitpresentlyit
touchedthehorizon,setitaflame,anddisappeared.Afalsetwilightfellupon
theinfernobeneath,andinthesuddenchangeofilluminationBowmanbecame
awarethatsomethingwashappeninginthespacearoundhim.
Theworldoftheredsunseemedtoripple,asifhewerelookingatit
throughrunningwater.Foramomenthewonderedifthiswassomerefractive
effect,perhapscausedbythepassageofanunusuallyviolentshockwavethrough
thetorturedatmosphereinwhichhewasimmersed.
Thelightwasfadingitseemedthatasecondtwilightwasabouttofall.
Involuntarily,Bowmanlookedupward,thencheckedhimselfsheepishly,ashe
rememberedthatherethemainsourceoflightwasnotthesky,buttheblazing
worldbelow.
Itseemedasifwallsofsomemateriallikesmokedglasswerethickening
aroundhim,cuttingouttheredglowandobscuringtheview.Itbecamedarker
anddarkerthefaintroarofthestellarhurricanesalsofadedout.Thespace

podwasfloatinginsilence,andinnight.
Amomentlater,therewasthesoftestofbumpsasitsettledonsomehard
surface,andcametorest.
Torestonwhat?Bowmanaskedhimselfincredulously.Thenlightreturned
andincredulitygavewaytoaheartsinkingdespairforashesawwhatlay
aroundhim,heknewthathemustbemad.
Hewasprepared,hethought,foranywonder.Theonlythinghehadnever
expectedwastheutterlycommonplace.
Thespacepodwasrestingonthepolishedfloorofanelegant,anonymous
hotelsuitethatmighthavebeeninanylargecityonEarth.Hewasstaringinto
alivingroomwithacoffeetable,adivan,adozenchairs,awritingdesk,
variouslamps,ahalffilledbookcasewithsomemagazineslyingonit,andeven
abowlofflowers.VanGogh'sBridgeatArleswashangingononewall Wyeth's
Christina'sWorldonanother.Hefeltconfidentthatwhenhepulledopenthe
drawerofthatdesk,hewouldfindaGideonBibleinsideit...
Ifhewasindeedmad,hisdelusionswerebeautifullyorganized.Everything
wasperfectlyrealnothingvanishedwhenheturnedhisback.Theonly
incongruouselementinthesceneandthatcertainlyamajoronewasthe
spacepoditself.
Formanyminutes,Bowmandidnotmovefromhisseat.Hehalfexpectedthe
visionaroundhimtogoaway,butitremainedassolidasanythingbebadever
seeninhislife.
Itwasrealorelseaphantomofthesensessosuperblycontrivedthat
therewasnowayofdistinguishingitfromreality.Perhapsitwassomekindof
testifso,notonlyhisfatebutthatofthehumanracemightwelldependupon
hisactionsinthenextfewminutes.
Hecouldsithereandwaitforsomethingtohappen,orhecouldopenthepod
andstepoutsidetochallengetherealityofthescenearoundhim.Thefloor
appearedtobesolidatleast,itwasbearingtheweightofthespacepod.He
wasnotlikelytofallthroughitwhatever"it"mightreallybe.
Buttherewasstillthequestionofairforallthathecouldtell,this
roommightbeinvacuum,ormightcontainapoisonousatmosphere.Hethoughtit
veryunlikelynoonewouldgotoallthistroublewithoutattendingtosuchan
essentialdetailbuthedidnotproposetotakeunnecessaryrisks.Inany
event,hisyearsoftrainingmadehimwaryofcontaminationhewasreluctantto
exposehimselftoanunknownenvironmentuntilheknewthattherewasno
alternative.ThisplacelookedlikeahotelroomsomewhereintheUnitedStates.

Thatdidnotalterthefactthatinrealityhemustbehundredsoflightyears
fromtheSolarSystem.
Heclosedthehelmetofhissuit,sealinghimselfin,andactuatedthehatch
ofthespacepod.Therewasabriefhissofpressureequalizationthenhe
steppedoutintotheroom.
Asfarashecouldtell,hewasinaperfectlynormalgravityfield.He
raisedonearm,thenletitfallfreely.Itfloppedtohissideinlessthana
second.
Thismadeeverythingseemdoublyunreal.Herehewaswearingaspacesuit,
standingwhenheshouldhavebeenfloatingoutsideavehiclewhichcould
onlyfunctionproperlyintheabsenceofgravity.Allhisnormalastronaut's
reflexeswereupsethehadtothinkbeforehemadeeverymovement.
Likeamaninatrancehewalkedslowlyfromhisbare,unfurnishedhalfof
theroomtowardthehotelsuite.Itdidnot,ashehadalmostexpected,
disappearasheapproached,butremainedperfectlyrealandapparently
perfectlysolid.
Hestoppedbesidethecoffeetable.OnitsataconventionalBellSystem
visionphone,completewiththelocaldirectory.Hebentdownandpickedupthe
volumewithhisclumsy,glovedhands.
Itbore,inthefamiliartypehehadseenthousandsoftimes,thename:
WASHINGTON,D.C.
Thenhelookedmorecloselyandforthefirsttime,hehadobjectiveproof
that,althoughallthismightbereal,hewasnotonEarth.
HecouldreadonlythewordWashingtontherestoftheprintingwasablur,
asifithadbeencopiedfromanewspaperphotograph.Heopenedthebookat
randomandriffledthroughthepages.Theywereallblanksheetsofcrispwhite
materialwhichwascertainlynotpaper,thoughitlookedverymuchlikeit.
Heliftedthetelephonereceiverandpresseditagainsttheplasticofhis
helmet.Iftherehadbeenadialingsoundhecouldhavehearditthroughthe
conductingmaterial.But,ashehadexpected,therewasonlysilence.
Soitwasallafake,thoughafantasticallycarefulone.Anditwas
clearlynotintendedtodeceivebutratherhehopedtoreassure.Thatwasa
verycomfortingthoughtneverthelesshewouldnotremovehissuituntilbehad
completedhisvoyageofexploration.Allthefurnitureseemedsoundandsolid
enoughhetriedthechairs,andtheysupportedhisweight.Butthedrawersin
thedeskwouldnotopentheyweredummies.

Sowerethebooksandmagazineslikethetelephonedirectory,onlythe
titleswerereadable.Theyformedanoddselectionmostlyrathertrashybest
sellers,afewsensationalworksofnonfiction,andsomewellpublicized
autobiographies.Therewasnothinglessthanthreeyearsold,andlittleofany
intellectualcontent.Notthatitmattered,forthebookscouldnotevenbe
takendownfromtheshelves.
Thereweretwodoorsthatopenedreadilyenough.Thefirstonetookhiminto
asmallbutcomfortablebedroom,fittedwithabed,bureau,twochairs,light
switchesthatactuallyworked,andaclothescloset.Heopenedthis,andfound
himselflookingatfoursuits,adressinggown,adozenwhiteshirts,and
severalsetsofunderwear,allneatlydrapedfromhangers.
Hetookdownoneofthesuits,andinspecteditcarefully.Asfarashis
glovedhandscouldjudge,itwasmadeofmaterialthatwasmorelikefurthan
wool.ItwasalsoalittleoutofstyleonEarth,noonehadbeenwearing
singlebreastedsuitsforatleastfouryears.
Nexttothebedroomwasabathroom,completewithfittingswhich,hewas
relievedtonote,werenotdummies,butworkedinaperfectlynormalmanner.And
afterthatwasakitchenette,withelectriccooker,refrigerator,storage
cupboards,crockeryandcutlery,sink,table,andchairs.Bowmanbeganto
explorethisnotonlywithcuriosity,butwithmountinghunger.
Firstheopenedtherefrigerator,andawaveofcoldmistrolledout.The
shelveswerewellstockedwithpackagesandcans,allofthemlookingperfectly
familiarfromadistance,thoughatclosequarterstheirproprietarylabelswere
blurredandunreadable.However,therewasanotableabsenceofeggs,milk,
butter,meat,fruit,oranyotherunprocessedfoodtherefrigeratorheldonly
itemsthathadalreadybeenpackagedinsomeway.
Bowmanpickedupacartonofafamiliarbreakfastcereal,thinkingashedid
sothatitwasoddtokeepthisfrozen.Themomentheliftedthepackage,he
knewthatitcertainlydidnotcontaincornflakesitwasmuchtooheavy.
Herippedopenthelid,andexaminedthecontents.
Theboxcontainedaslightlymoistbluesubstance,ofabouttheweightand
textureofbreadpudding.Apartfromitsoddcolor,itlookedquiteappetizing.
Butthisisridiculous,Bowmantoldhimself.Iamalmostcertainlybeing
watched,andImustlookanidiotwearingthissuit.Ifthisissomekindof
intelligencetest,I'veprobablyfailedalready.Withoutfurtherhesitation,he
walkedbackintothebedroomandbegantoundotheclampofhishelmet.Whenit
wasloose,heliftedthehelmetafractionofaninch,crackedthesealandtook

acautioussniff.Asfarashecouldtell,hewasbreathingperfectlynormal
air.
Hedroppedthehelmetonthebed,andbeganthankfullyandratherstiffly
todivesthimselfofhissuit.Whenhehadfinished,hestretched,tookafew
deepbreaths,andcarefullyhungthespacesuitupamongthemoreconventional
articlesofclothinginthecloset.Itlookedratheroddthere,butthe
compulsivetidinessthatBowmansharedwithallastronautswouldneverhave
allowedhimtoleaveitanywhereelse.
Thenhewalkedquicklybackintothekitchenandbegantoinspectthe
"cereal"boxatcloserquarters.
Thebluebreadpuddinghadafaint,spicysmell,somethinglikeamacaroon.
Bowmanweigheditinhishand,thenbrokeoffapieceandcautiouslysniffedat
it.Thoughhefeltsurenowthattherewouldbenodeliberateattempttopoison
him,therewasalwaysthepossibilityofmistakesespeciallyinamatterso
complexasbiochemistry.
Henibbledatafewcrumbs,thenchewedandswallowedthefragmentoffood
itwasexcellent,thoughtheflavorwassoelusiveastobealmost
indescribable.Ifheclosedhiseyes,hecouldimagineitwasmeat,orwholemeal
bread,orevendriedfruit.Unlesstherewereunexpectedaftereffects,hehadno
causetofearstarvation.
Whenhehadeatenjustafewmouthfulsofthesubstance,andalreadyfelt
quitesatisfied,helookedforsomethingtodrink.Therewerehalfadozencans
ofbeeragainofafamousbrandatthebackoftherefrigerator,andhe
pressedthetabononeofthemtoopenit.
Theprestressedmetallidpoppedoffalongitsstrainlines,exactlyas
usual.ButthecandidnotcontainbeertoBowman'ssurpriseddisappointment,
itheldmoreofthebluefood.
Inafewsecondshehadopenedhalfadozenoftheotherpackagesandcans.
Whatevertheirlabels,theircontentswerethesameitseemedthathisdietwas
goingtobealittlemonotonous,andthathewouldhavenothingbutwaterto
drink.Hefilledaglassfromthekitchenfaucetandsippedatitcautiously.
Hespatoutthefirstfewdropsatoncethetastewasterrible.Then,
ratherashamedofhisinstinctivereaction,heforcedhimselftodrinktherest.
Thatfirstsiphadbeenenoughtoidentifytheliquid.Ittastedterrible
becauseithadnotasteatallthefaucetwassupplyingpure,distilledwater.
Hisunknownhostswereobviouslytakingnochanceswithhishealth.

Feelingmuchrefreshed,hethenhadaquickshower.Therewasnosoap,which
wasanotherminorinconvenience,buttherewasaveryefficienthotairdrierin
whichbeluxuriatedforawhilebeforetryingonunderpants,vest,anddressing
gownfromtheclothescloset.Afterthat,helaydownonthebed,staredupat
theceiling,andtriedtomakesenseofthisfantasticsituation.
Hehadmadelittleprogresswhenhewasdistractedbyanotherlineof
thought.ImmediatelyabovethebedwastheusualhoteltypeceilingTVscreen
hehadassumedthat,likethetelephoneandbooks,itwasadummy.
Butthecontrolunitonitsswingingbedsidearmlookedsorealisticthathe
couldnotresistplayingwithitandashisfingerstouchedtheONsensordisk,
thescreenlitup.
Feverishly,hestartedtotapoutchannelselectorcodesatrandom and
almostatoncehegothisfirstpicture.
ItwasawellknownAfricannewscommentator,discussingtheattemptsbeing
madetopreservethelastremnantsofhiscountry'swildlife.Bowmanlistened
forafewseconds,socaptivatedbythesoundofahumanvoicethathedidnot
intheleastcarewhatitwastalkingabout.Thenhechangedchannels.
Inthenextfiveminutes,hegotasymphonyorchestraplayingWalton's
ViolinConcerto,adiscussiononthesadstateofthelegitimatetheater,a
western,ademonstrationofanewheadachecure,apanelgameinsomeOriental
language,apsychodrama,threenewscommentaries,afootballgame,alectureon
solidgeometry(inRussian),andseveraltuningsignalsanddatatransmissions.
Itwas,infact,aperfectlynormalselectionfromtheworld'sTVprograms,and
apartfromthepsychologicalupliftitgavehim,itconfirmedonesuspicionthat
hadalreadybeenforminginhismind.
Alltheprogramswereabouttwoyearsold.ThatwasaroundthetimeTMA1
hadbeendiscovered,anditwashardtobelievethatthiswasapure
coincidence.Somethinghadbeenmonitoringtheradiowavesthatebonblockhad
beenbusierthanmenhadsuspected.
Hecontinuedtowanderacrossthespectrum,andsuddenlyrecognizeda
familiarscene.Herewasthisverysuite,nowoccupiedbyacelebratedactorwho
wasfuriouslydenouncinganunfaithfulmistress.Bowmanlookedwithashockof
recognitionuponthelivingroomhehadjustleftandwhenthecamerafollowed
theindignantcoupletowardthebedroom,heinvoluntarilylookedtowardthedoor
toseeifanyonewasentering.
Sothatwashowthisreceptionareahadbeenpreparedforhimhishostshad
basedtheirideasofterrestriallivinguponTVprograms.Hisfeelingthathe
wasinsideamoviesetwasalmostliterallytrue.

Hehadlearnedallthathewishedtoforthemoment,andturnedofftheset.
WhatdoIdonow?heaskedhimself,lockinghisfingersbehindhisheadand
staringupattheblankscreen.
Hewasphysicallyandemotionallyexhausted,yetitseemedimpossiblethat
onecouldsleepinsuchfantasticsurroundings,andfartherfromEarththanany
maninhistoryhadeverbeen.Butthecomfortablebed,andtheinstinctive
wisdomofthebody,conspiredtogetheragainsthiswill.
Hefumbledforthelightswitch,andtheroomwasplungedintodarkness.
Withinseconds,hehadpassedbeyondthereachofdreams.
So,forthelasttime,DavidBowmanslept.

45Recapitulation

Therebeingnofurtheruseforit,thefurnitureofthesuitedissolvedback
intothemindofitscreator.Onlythebedremainedandthewalls,shielding
thisfragileorganismfromtheenergiesitcouldnotyetcontrol.
Inhissleep,DavidBowmanstirredrestlessly.Hedidnotwake,nordidhe
dream,buthewasnolongerwhollyunconscious.Likeafogcreepingthrougha
forest,somethinginvadedhismind.Hesenseditonlydimly,forthefullimpact
wouldhavedestroyedhimassurelyasthefiresragingbeyondthesewalls.
Beneaththatdispassionatescrutiny,hefeltneitherhopenorfearallemotion
hadbeenleachedaway.
Heseemedtobefloatinginfreespace,whilearoundhimstretched,inall
directions,aninfinitegeometricalgridofdarklinesorthreads,alongwhich
movedtinynodesoflightsomeslowly,someatdazzlingspeed.
Oncehehadpeeredthroughamicroscopeatacrosssectionofahumanbrain,
andinitsnetworkofnervefibershadglimpsedthesamelabyrinthine
complexity.Butthathadbeendeadandstatic,whereasthistranscendedlife
itself.Hekneworbelievedheknewthathewaswatchingtheoperationof
somegiganticmind,contemplatingtheuniverseofwhichhewassotinyapart.
Thevision,orillusion,lastedonlyamoment.Thenthecrystallineplanes
andlattices,andtheinterlockingperspectivesofmovinglight,flickeredout
ofexistence,asDavidBowmanmovedintoarealmofconsciousnessthatnoman
hadexperiencedbefore.

Atfirst,itseemedthatTimeitselfwasrunningbackward.Eventhismarvel
hewaspreparedtoaccept,beforeberealizedthesubtlertruth.
Thespringsofmemorywerebeingtappedincontrolledrecollection,hewas
relivingthepast.Therewasthehotelsuitetherethespacepodtherethe
burningstarscapesoftheredsuntheretheshiningcoreofthegalaxythere
thegatewaythroughwhichhehadreemergedintotheuniverse.Andnotonly
vision,butallthesenseimpressions,andalltheemotionshehadfeltatthe
time,wereracingpast,moreandmoreswiftly.Hislifewasunreelinglikea
taperecorderplayingbackateverincreasingspeed.
NowhewasoncemoreaboardtheDiscoveryandtheringsofSaturnfilledthe
sky.Beforethat,hewasrepeatinghisfinaldialoguewithHalhewasseeing
FrankPooleleaveonhislastmissionhewashearingthevoiceofEarth,
assuringhimthatallwaswell.
Andevenasherelivedtheseevents,heknewthatallindeedwaswell.He
wasretrogressingdownthecorridorsoftime,beingdrainedofknowledgeand
experienceashesweptbacktowardhischildhood.Butnothingwasbeinglost
allthatbehadeverbeen,ateverymomentofhislife,wasbeingtransferredto
saferkeeping.EvenasoneDavidBowmanceasedtoexist,anotherbecame
immortal.
Faster,fasterhemovedbackintoforgottenyears,andintoasimplerworld.
Faceshehadonceloved,andhadthoughtlostbeyondrecall,smiledathim
sweetly.Hesmiledbackwithfondness,andwithoutpain.
Now,atlast,theheadlongregressionwasslackeningthewellsofmemory
werenearlydry.Timeflowedmoreandmoresluggishly,approachingamomentof
stasisasaswingingpendulum,atthelimitofitsarc,seemsfrozenforone
eternalinstant,beforethenextcyclebegins.
Thetimelessinstantpassedthependulumreverseditsswing.Inanempty
room,floatingamidthefiresofadoublestartwentythousandlightyearsfrom
Earth,ababyopeneditseyesandbegantocry.

46Transformation

Thenitbecamesilent,asitsawthatitwasnolongeralone.
Aghostly,glimmeringrectanglehadformedintheemptyair.Itsolidified

intoacrystaltablet,lostitstransparency,andbecamesuffusedwithapale,
milkyluminescence.Tantalizing,illdefinedphantomsmovedacrossitssurface
andinitsdepths.Theycoalescedintobarsoflightsandshadow,thenformed
intermeshing,spokedpatternsthatbeganslowlytorotate,intimewiththe
pulsingrhythmthatnowseemedtofillthewholeofspace.
Itwasaspectacletograspandholdtheattentionofanychildorofany
manape.But,asithadbeenthreemillionyearsbefore,itwasonlytheoutward
manifestationofforcestoosubtletobeconsciouslyperceived.Itwasmerelya
toytodistractthesenses,whiletherealprocessingwascarriedoutatfar
deeperlevelsofthemind.
Thistime,theprocessingwasswiftandcertain,asthenewdesignwas
woven.Forintheeonssincetheirlastmeeting,muchhadbeenlearnedbythe
weaverandthematerialonwhichhepracticedhisartwasnowofaninfinitely
finertexture.Butwhetheritshouldbepermittedtoformpartofhisstill
growingtapestry,onlythefuturecouldtell.
Witheyesthatalreadyheldmorethanhumanintentness,thebabystaredinto
thedepthsofthecrystalmonolith,seeingbutnotyetunderstandingthe
mysteriesthatlaybeyond.Itknewthatithadcomehome,thatherewasthe
originofmanyracesbesidesitsownbutitknewalsothatitcouldnotstay.
Beyondthismomentlayanotherbirth,strangerthananyinthepast.
Nowthemomenthadcometheglowingpatternsnolongerechoedthesecrets
inthecrystal'sheart.Astheydied,sotootheprotectivewallsfadedback
intothenonexistencefromwhichtheybadbrieflyemerged,andtheredsun
filledthesky.
Themetalandplasticoftheforgottenspacepod,andtheclothingonceworn
byanentitywhohadcalledhimselfDavidBowman,flashedintoflame.Thelast
linkswithEarthweregone,resolvedbackintotheircomponentatoms.
Butthechildscarcelynoticed,asheadjustedhimselftothecomfortable
glowofhisnewenvironment.Hestillneeded,foralittlewhile,thisshellof
matterasthefocusofhispowers.Hisindestructiblebodywashismind's
presentimageofitselfandforallhispowers,heknewthathewasstilla
baby.Sohewouldremainuntilhehaddecidedonanewform,orhadpassed
beyondthenecessitiesofmatter.
Andnowitwastimetogothoughinonesensehewouldneverleavethis
placewherehehadbeenreborn,forhewouldalwaysbepartoftheentitythat
usedthisdoublestarforitsunfathomablepurposes.Thedirection,thoughnot
thenature,ofhisdestinywasclearbeforehim,andtherewasnoneedtotrace
thedeviouspathbywhichhehadcome.Withtheinstinctsofthreemillion
years,henowperceivedthatthereweremorewaysthanonebehindthebackof

space.TheancientmechanismsoftheStarGatehadservedhimwell,buthewould
notneedthemagain.
Theglimmeringrectangularshapethathadonceseemednomorethanaslabof
crystalstillfloatedbeforehim,indifferentashewastotheharmlessflames
oftheinfernobeneath.Itencapsulatedyetunfathomedsecretsofspaceand
time,butsomeatleasthenowunderstoodandwasabletocommand.Howobvious
hownecessarywasthatmathematicalratioofitssides,thequadraticsequence
1:4:9!Andhownaivetohaveimaginedthattheseriesendedatthispoint,
inonlythreedimensions!
Hefocusedhisminduponthesegeometricalsimplicities,andashisthoughts
brushedagainstit,theemptyframeworkfilledwiththedarknessofthe
interstellarnight.Theglowoftheredsunfadedor,rather,seemedtorecede
inalldirectionsatonceandtherebeforehimwastheluminouswhirlpoolof
thegalaxy.
Itmighthavebeensomebeautiful,incrediblydetailedmodel,embeddedina
blockofplastic.Butitwasthereality,graspedasawholewithsensesnow
moresubtlethanvision.Ifhewished,hecouldfocushisattentionuponanyone
ofitshundredbillionstarsandhecoulddomuchmorethanthat.
Herehewas,adriftinthisgreatriverofsuns,halfwaybetweenthebanked
firesofthegalacticcoreandthelonely,scatteredsentinelstarsoftherim.
Andherehewishedtobe,onthefarsideofthischasminthesky,this
serpentinebandofdarkness,emptyofallstars.Heknewthatthisformless
chaos,visibleonlybytheglowthatlimneditsedgesfromfiremistsfar
beyond,wasthestillunusedstuffofcreation,therawmaterialofevolutions
yettobe.Here,Timehadnotbegunnotuntilthesunsthatnowburnedwere
longsincedeadwouldlightandlifereshapethisvoid.
Unwittingly,hehadcrosseditoncenowhemustcrossitagainthistime,
ofhisownvolition.Thethoughtfilledhimwithasudden,freezingterror,so
thatforamomenthewaswhollydisorientated,andhisnewvisionofthe
universetrembledandthreatenedtoshatterintoathousandfragments.
Itwasnotfearofthegalacticgulfsthatchilledhissoul,butamore
profounddisquiet,stemmingfromtheunbornfuture.Forhehadleftbehindthe
timescalesofhishumanoriginnow,ashecontemplatedthatbandofstarless
night,heknewhisfirstintimationsoftheEternitythatyawnedbeforehim.
Thenherememberedthathewouldneverbealone,andhispanicslowlyebbed.
Thecrystalclearperceptionoftheuniversewasrestoredtohim not,heknew,
whollybyhisownefforts.Whenheneededguidanceinhisfirstfalteringsteps,
itwouldbethere.

Confidentoncemore,likeahighdiverwhohadregainedhisnerve,he
launchedhimselfacrossthelightyears.Thegalaxyburstforthfromthemental
frameinwhichhehadencloseditstarsandnebulaepouredpasthiminan
illusionofinfinitespeed.Phantomsunsexplodedandfellbehindasheslipped
likeashadowthroughtheircoresthecold,darkwasteofcosmicdustwhichhe
hadoncefearedseemednomorethanthebeatofaraven'swingacrosstheface
oftheSun.
ThestarswerethinningouttheglareoftheMilkyWaywasdimmingintoa
paleghostofthegloryhehadknownand,whenhewasready,wouldknowagain.
Hewasback,preciselywherehewishedtobe,inthespacethatmencalled
real.

47StarChild

Therebeforehim,aglitteringtoynoStarChildcouldresist,floatedthe
planetEarthwithallitspeoples.
Hehadreturnedintime.Downthereonthatcrowdedglobe,thealarmswould
beflashingacrosstheradarscreens,thegreattrackingtelescopeswouldbe
searchingtheskiesandhistoryasmenknewitwouldbedrawingtoaclose.
Athousandmilesbelow,hebecameawarethataslumberingcargoofdeathhad
awoken,andwasstirringsluggishlyinitsorbit.Thefeebleenergiesit
containedwerenopossiblemenacetohimbuthepreferredacleanersky.Heput
forthhiswill,andthecirclingmegatonsfloweredinasilentdetonationthat
broughtabrief,falsedawntohalfthesleepingglobe.Thenhewaited,
marshalinghisthoughtsandbroodingoverhisstilluntestedpowers.Forthough
hewasmasteroftheworld,hewasnotquitesurewhattodonext.
Buthewouldthinkofsomething.

Epilogue:After2001

Thenovel2001:ASpaceOdysseywaswrittenduringtheyears19641968and
waspublishedinJuly1968,shortlyafterreleaseofthemovie.AsIhave
describedinTheLostWorldsof2001,bothprojectsproceededsimultaneously,

withfeedbackineachdirection.
ThusIoftenhadthestrangeexperienceofrevisingthemanuscriptafter
viewingrushesbaseduponanearlierversionofthestoryastimulatingbut
ratherexpensivewayofwritinganovel.
Asaresult,thereisamuchcloserparallelbetweenbookandmoviethanis
usuallythecase,buttherearealsomajordifferences.Inthenovel,the
destinationofthespaceshipDiscoverywasIapetus(orJapetus),mostenigmatic
ofSaturn'smanymoons.TheSaturniansystemwasreachedviaJupiter:Discovery
madeacloseapproachtothegiantplanet,usingitsenormousgravitational
fieldtoproducea"slingshot"effectandtoaccelerateitalongthesecondlap
ofitsjourney.ExactlythesamemaneuverwasusedbytheVoyagerspaceprobes
in1979,whentheymadethefirstdetailedreconnaissanceoftheoutergiants.
Inthemovie,however,StanleyKubrickwiselyavoidedconfusionbysetting
thethirdconfrontationbetweenManandMonolithamongthemoonsofJupiter.
Saturnwasdroppedfromthescriptentirely,thoughDouglasTrumbulllaterused
theexpertisehehadacquiredfilmingtheringedplanetinhisownproduction,
SilentRunning.
Noonecouldhaveimagined,backinthemidsixties,thattheexplorationof
themoonsofJupiterlaynotinthenextcenturybutonlyfifteenyearsahead.
Norhadanyonedreamedofthewondersthatwouldbefoundtherealthoughwe
canbequitecertainthatthediscoveriesofthetwinVoyagerswillonedaybe
surpassedbyevenmoreunexpectedfinds.When2001waswritten,Io,Europa,
Ganymede,andCallistoweremerepinpointsoflightineventhemostpowerful
telescopenowtheyareworlds,eachunique,andoneofthem Iothemost
volcanicallyactivebodyintheSolarSystem.
Yetallthingsconsidered,bothmovieandbookstandupquitewellinthe
lightofthesediscoveries.TherearenomajorchangesIwouldwishtomaketo
thetext,anditisfascinatingtocomparetheJupitersequencesinthefilm
withtheactualmoviesfromtheVoyagercameras.
Itmustalsoberememberedthat2001waswritteninanagethatnowlies
beyondoneoftheGreatDividesinhumanhistorywearesunderedfromit
foreverbythemomentwhenNeilArmstrongsetfootupontheMoon.July20,1969,
wasstillhalfadecadeinthefuturewhenStanleyKubrickandIstarted
thinkingaboutthe"proverbialgoodsciencefictionmovie"(hisphrase).Now
historyandfictionhavebecomeinextricablyintertwined.
TheApolloastronautshadalreadyseenthefilmwhentheyleftfortheMoon.
ThecrewofApollo8,whoatChristmas1968becamethefirstmenevertoset
eyesuponthelunarFarside,toldmethattheyhadbeentemptedtoradioback
thediscoveryofalarge,blackmonolith:alas,discretionprevailed...

Andtherewerelater,almostuncanny,instancesofnatureimitatingart.
StrangestofallwasthesagaofApollo13in1970.
Asagoodopening,theCommandModule,whichhousesthecrew,hadbeen
christenedOdyssey.Justbeforetheexplosionoftheoxygentankwhichcaused
themissiontobeaborted,thecrewhadbeenplayingRichardStrauss'
Zarathustratheme,nowuniversallyidentifiedwiththemovie.Immediatelyafter
thelossofpower,JackSwigertradioedbacktoMissionControl:"Houston,we've
hadaproblem."ThewordsthatHalusedtoFrankPooleonasimilaroccasion
were:"Sorrytointerruptthefestivities,butwehaveaproblem."
WhenthereportoftheApollo13missionwaslaterpublished,NASA
AdministratorTomPainesentmeacopyandnotedunderSwigert'swords:"Justas
youalwayssaiditwouldbe,Arthur."IstillgetaverystrangefeelingwhenI
contemplatethiswholeseriesofevents almost,indeed,asifIsharea
certainresponsibility...
Anotherresonanceislessserious,butequallystriking.Oneofthemost
technicallybrilliantsequencesinthemoviewasthatinwhichastronautFrank
Poolewasshownrunningroundandroundthecirculartrackofthegiant
centrifuge,heldinplacebythe"artificialgravity"producedbyitsspin.
Almostadecadelater,thecrewofthesuperblysuccessfulSkylabrealized
thatitsdesignershadprovidedthemwithasimilargeometryaringofstorage
cabinetsformedasmooth,circularbandaroundthespacestation'sinterior.
Skylab,however,wasnotspinning,butthisdidnotdeteritsingenious
occupants.Theydiscoveredthattheycouldrunaroundthetrack,justlikemice
inasquirrelcage,toproducearesultvisuallyindistinguishablefromthat
shownin2001.AndtheytelevisedthewholeexercisebacktoEarth(needIname
theaccompanyingmusic?)withthecomment:"StanleyKubrickshouldseethis."As
induecoursehedid,becauseIsenthimthetelecinerecording.(Inevergotit
backStanleyusesatameBlackHoleasafilingsystem.)
Thereisalsothestrangecaseofthe"EyeofJapetus,"describedinChapter
35,whereBowmandiscovers"abrilliantwhiteoval...sosharpedgedthatit
almostlooked...paintedonthefaceofthelittlemoon"withatinyblackdot
attheexactcenter,whichturnsouttobetheMonolith(oroneofitsavatars).
WellwhenVoyager1tookthefirstphotographsofIapetus,theydidindeed
disclosealarge,clearcutwhiteovalwithatinyblackdotatthecenter.Carl
SaganpromptlysentmeaprintfromtheJetPropulsionLaboratorywiththe
crypticannotation"Thinkingofyou..."Idonotknowwhethertoberelievedor
disappointedthatVoyager2hasleftthematterstillopen.
When,fourteenyearsago,Itypedthefinalwords"Forthoughhewasmaster

oftheworld,hewasnotquitesurewhattodonext.Buthewouldthinkof
something"IfeltIhadclosedthecircuitandprecludedallpossibilityofa
sequel.Indeed,forthenextdecadeIridiculedtheveryidea,forwhatseemed
tomeconclusivereasons.Since2001wasconcernedwiththenextstageofhuman
evolution,toexpectme(orevenStanley)todepictitwouldbeasabsurdas
askingMoonwatchertodescribeBowmanandhisworld.
Despitemyprotests,itisnowobviousthatmybusylittlesubconsciouswas
hardatwork,perhapsinresponsetotheconstantstreamoflettersfromreaders
wantingtoknow"whathappenednext."Finally,asanintellectualexercise,I
wroteaprcisofapossiblesequelintheformofashortmovieoutlineand
sentcopiestoStanleyKubrickandmyagent,ScottMeredith.AsfarasStanley
wasconcerned,thiswasanactofcourtesy,forIknewthatheneverrepeats
himself(justasIneverwritesequels),butIhopedthatScottwouldsellthe
outlinetoOmnimagazine,whichhadrecentlypublishedanotheroutline,"The
SongsofDistantEarth."Then,Ifondlyhoped,theghostof2001wouldbe
finallyexorcised.
Stanleyexpressedguardedinterest,butScottwasenthusiasticand
implacable."You'vesimplygottowritethebook,"hesaid.Withagroan,I
realizedthathewasright...
Sonow,gentlereader(tocoinaphrase),youcanfindwhathappensnextin
2010:SpaceOdysseyTwo.IamextremelygratefultoNewAmericanLibrary,
copyrightholdersof2001:ASpaceOdyssey,forpermissiontouseChapter37in
thenewnovelItservesasalink,connectingthetwobookstogether.
Afinalcommentonbothnovelsasseenfromapointnowalmostexactly
midwaybetweentheyear2001andthetimewhenStanleyKubrickandIstarted
workingtogether.Contrarytopopularbelief,sciencefictionwritersvery
seldomattempttopredictthefutureindeed,asRayBradburyputitsowell,
theymoreoftentrytopreventit.In1964,thefirstheroicperiodoftheSpace
AgewasjustopeningtheUnitedStateshadsettheMoonasitstarget,andonce
thatdecisionhadbeenmade,theultimateconquestoftheotherplanets,
appearedinevitable.By2001,itseemedquitereasonablethattherewouldbe
giantspacestationsinorbitroundtheEarthandalittlelatermanned
expeditionstotheplanets.
Inanidealworld,thatwouldhavebeenpossible:theVietnamWarwouldhave
paidforeverythingthatStanleyKubrickshowedontheCineramascreen.Nowwe
realizethatitwilltakealittlelonger.
2001willnotarriveby2001.Yetbarringaccidentsbythatdatealmost
everythingdepictedinthebookandthemoviewillbeintheadvancedplanning
stage.

Exceptforcommunicationwithalienintelligences:thatissomethingthat
canneverbeplannedonlyanticipated.Nooneknowswhetheritwillhappen
tomorroworathousandyearshence.
Butitwillhappensomeday.

ARTHURC.CLARKE
Colombo,SriLanka
November,1982