2001: A Space Odyssey Page #17

We've examined dozens of theories,

but the one that has the most

currency at the moment is that

the object serves as an alarm.

What the purpose of the alarm is,

why they wish to have the alarm,

whether the alarm represents

any danger to us? These are

questions no one can answer.

The intentions of an alien world,

at least four million years older

than we are, cannot be reliably

predicted.

In view of this, the intelligence

and scientific communities felt

that any public announcment

might lead to significant cultural

shock and disorientation.

Discussion took place at the

highest levels between govern-

(con't)

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CONTINUED:

FLOYD (con't)

ments, and it was decided that the

only wise and precautionary

course to follow was to assume

that the intentions of this alien

world are potentially dangerous

to us, until we have evidence to

the contrary.

This is, of course, why security

has been maintained and why

this information has been kept

on a need-to-know basis.

And now I should like to show you

a TV monitor tape of the actual

signalling event.

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WE SEE A REPLAY:

OF THE TMA-1 RADIO

EMISSION, AS SEEN

FROM A TV MONITOR

ON THE SPOT. WE

HEAR THE FIVE LOUD

ELECTRONIC SHRIEKS.

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D1

IN ORBIT WITHIN THENARRATOR

RINGS OF SATURN, WEFor two million years, it had

SEE A BLACK, MILE circled Saturn, awaiting a

LONG, GEOMETRICALLYmoment of destiny that might

PERFECT RECTANGLE, never come.

THE SAME PROPORTIONS

AS THE BLACK ARTIFACT In its making, the moon had been

EXCAVATED ON THE MOON. shattered and around the central

PRECISELY CUT INTO ITS world, the debris of its creation

CENTRE IS A SMALLER, orbited yet - the glory and the

RECTANGULAR SLOT enigma of the solar system.

ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED

FOOT LONG ON THE SIDE. Now, the long wait was ending.

AT THIS DISTANCE, THE On yet another world intelligence

RINGS OF SATURN AREhad been born and was escaping

SEEN TO BE MADE OF from its planetary cradle. An

ENORMOUS CHUNKS OF ancient experiment was about to

FROZEN AMONIA. THEreach its climax.

REST OF THIS SEQUENCE (con't)

IS BEING WORKED ON NOW

BY OUR DESIGNERS.

THE INTENTION HERE

IS TO PRESENT A:

BREATHTAKINGLY BEA-

UTIFUL AND COMPREHEN-

SIVE SENSE OF DIFFERENT

EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL

WORLDS. THE

NARRATION WILL SUGGEST

IMAGES AND SITUATIONS AS

YOU READ IT.

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D1

CONTINUED:

NARRATOR (con't)

Those who had begun the expri-

ment so long ago had not been

men.

But when they looked out across

the deeps of space, they felt

awe and wonder - and loneliness.

In their explorations, they

encountered life in many forms,

and watched on a thousand worlds

the workings of evolution.

They saw how often the first faint

sparks of intelligence flickered

and died in the cosmic night.

And because, in all the galaxy,

they had found nothing more

precious than Mind, they

encouraged its dawning every-

where.

The great Dinosaurs had long

since perished when their ships

entered the solar system, after

a voyage that had already lasted

thousands of years.

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D1

CONTINUED:

NARRATOR (con't)

They swept past the frozen outer

planets, paused briefly above the

deserts of dying Mars and

presently looked down on Earth.

For years they studied, collected

and catalogued.

When they had learned all they

could, they began to modify.

They tinkered with the destiny

of many species on land and in

the ocean, but which of their

experiments would succeed

they could not know for at least

a million years.

They were patient, but they were

not yet immortal. There was

much to do in this Universe of a

hundred billion stars. So they

set forth once more across the

abyss, knowing that they would

never come this way again.

Nor was there any need. Their

wonderful machines could be

trusted to do the rest.

(con't)

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D1

CONTINUED:

NARRATOR (con't)

On Earth, the glaciers came and

went, while above them, the

changeless Moon still carried its

secret.

With a yet slower rhythm than

the Polar ice, the tide of

civilization ebbed and flowed

across the galaxy.

Strange and beautiful and terrible

empires rose and fell, and passed

on their knowledge to their

successors.

Earth was not forgotten, but it was

one of a million silent worlds, a

few of which would ever speak.

Then the first explorers of Earth,

recognising the limitations of

their minds and bodies, passed

on their knowledge to the great

machines they had created, and

who now trnscended them in

every way.

(con't)

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D1

CONTINUED:

NARRATOR:

For a few thousand years, they

shared their Universe with their

machine children; then, realizing

that it was folly to linger when

their task was done, they passed

into history without regret.

Not one of them ever looked through

his own eyes upon the planet Earth

again.

But even the age of the Machine

Entities passed swiftly. In their

ceaseless experimenting, they

had learned to store knowledge

in the structure of space itself,

and to preserve their thoughts

for eternity in frozen lattices

of light. They could become

creatures of radiation, free

at last from the tyranny of matter.

Now, they were Lords of the

galaxy, and beyond the reach

of time.

They could rove at will among the

stars, and sink like a subtle mist

through the very interstices of

space.

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CONTINUED:

NARRATOR (con't)

But despite their God-like powers,

they still watched over the

experiments their ancestors

had started so many generations

ago.

The companion of Saturn knew

nothing of this, as it orbited

in its no man's land between Mimas

and the outer edge of rings.

It had only to remember and wait,

and to look forever Sunward with

its strange senses.

For many weeks, it had watched

the approaching ship. Its long-

dead makers had prepared it for

many things and this was one of

them. And it recognised what

was climbing starward from the

Sun.

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