Title:2010:Odisseytwo

Author:ArthurC.Clarke
Originalcopyrightyear:1982
Genre:sciencefiction
Comments:tomyknowledge,thisistheonlyavailableetextofthisbook.
Source:scannedandOCRreadfromapaperbackeditionwithXeroxTextBridgePro9.0,
proofreadinMSWord2000.
Dateofetext:August29,1999
Preparedby:AnadaSucka
Anticopyright1999.Allrightsreversed.

Dedicated,withrespectfuladmiration,totwogreatRussians,bothdepictedherein:
GeneralAlexeiLeonovCosmonaut,HerooftheSovietUnion,Artist
and
AcademicianAndreiSakharovScientist,NobelLaureate,Humanist.

Author'sNote

Thenovel2001:ASpaceOdysseywaswrittenduringtheyears19648andwas
publishedinJuly1968,shortlyafterreleaseofthemovie.AsIhavedescribedinTheLost
Worldsof2001,bothprojectsproceededsimultaneously,withfeedbackineachdirection.
ThusIoftenhadthestrangeexperienceofrevisingthemanuscriptafterviewingrushes
baseduponanearlierversionofthestoryastimulating,butratherexpensive,wayof
writinganovel.
Asaresult,thereisamuchcloserparallelbetweenbookandmoviethanisusuallythe
case,buttherearealsomajordifferences.Inthenovel,thedestinationofthespaceship
DiscoverywasIapetus(orJapetus),mostenigmaticofSaturn'smanymoons.The
SaturniansystemwasreachedviaJupiter:Discoverymadeacloseapproachtothegiant
planet,usingitsenormousgravitationalfieldtoproducea'slingshot'effectandto
accelerateitalongthesecondlapofitsjourney.Exactlythesamemanoeuvrewasused
bytheVoyagerspaceprobesin1979,whentheymadethefirstdetailedreconnaissance
oftheoutergiants.
Inthemovie,however,StanleyKubrickwiselyavoidedconfusionbysettingthethird
confrontationbetweenManandMonolithamongthemoonsofJupiter.Saturnwas

droppedfromthescriptentirely,thoughDouglasTrumbulllaterusedtheexpertisehehad
acquiredtofilmtheringedplanetinhisownproduction,SilentRunning.
Noonecouldhaveimagined,backinthemidsixties,thattheexplorationofthemoons
ofJupiterlay,notinthenextcentury,butonlyfifteenyearsahead.Norhadanyone
dreamedofthewondersthatwouldbefoundtherealthoughwecanbequitecertainthat
thediscoveriesofthetwinVoyagerswillonedaybesurpassedbyevenmoreunexpected
finds.When2001waswritten,Io,Europa,Ganymede,andCallistoweremerepinpointsof
lightineventhemostpowerfultelescopenowtheyareworlds,eachunique,andoneof
them IoisthemostvolcanicallyactivebodyintheSolarSystem.
Yet,allthingsconsidered,bothmovieandbookstandupquitewellinthelightofthese
discoveries,anditisfascinatingtocomparetheJupitersequencesinthefilmwiththe
actualmoviesfromtheVoyagercameras.Butclearly,anythingwrittentodayhasto
incorporatetheresultsofthe1979explorations:themoonsofJupiterarenolonger
unchartedterritory.
Andthereisanother,moresubtle,psychologicalfactortobetakenintoconsideration.
2001waswritteninanagethatnowliesbeyondoneoftheGreatDividesinhuman
historywearesunderedfromitforeverbythemomentwhenNeilArmstrongsetfootupon
theMoon.Thedate20July1969wasstillhalfadecadeinthefuturewhenStanley
KubrickandIstartedthinkingaboutthe'proverbialgoodsciencefictionmovie'(his
phrase).Nowhistoryandfictionhavebecomeinextricablyintertwined.
TheApolloastronautshadalreadyseenthefilmwhentheyleftfortheMoon.Thecrew
ofApollo8,whoatChristmas1968becamethefirstmenevertoseteyesupontheLunar
Farside,toldmethattheyhadbeentemptedtoradiobackthediscoveryofalargeblack
monolith:alas,discretionprevailed.
Andtherewere,later,almostuncannyinstancesofnatureimitatingart.Strangestofall
wasthesagaofApollo13in1970.
Asagoodopening,theCommandModule,whichhousesthecrew,hadbeen
christenedOdyssey,Justbeforetheexplosionoftheoxygentankthatcausedthemission
tobeaborted,thecrewhadbeenplayingRichardStrauss'sZarathustratheme,now
universallyidentifiedwiththemovie.Immediatelyafterthelossofpower,JackSwigert
radioedbacktoMissionControl:'Houston,we'vehadaproblem.'ThewordsthatHalused
toastronautFrankPooleonasimilaroccasionwere:'Sorrytointerruptthefestivities,but
wehaveaproblem.'
WhenthereportoftheApollo13missionwaslaterpublished,NASAAdministratorTom
Painesentmeacopy,andnotedunderSwigert'swords:'Justasyoualwayssaiditwould
be,Arthur.'IstillgetaverystrangefeelingwhenIcontemplatethiswholeseriesofevents
almost,indeed,asifIshareacertainresponsibility.

Anotherresonanceislessserious,butequallystriking.Oneofthemosttechnically
brilliantsequencesinthemoviewasthatinwhichFrankPoolewasshownrunninground
androundthecirculartrickofthegiantcentrifuge,heldinplacebythe'artificialgravity'
producedbyitsspin.
Almostadecadelater,thecrewofthesuperblysuccessfulSkylabrealizedthatits
designershadprovidedthemwithasimilargeometryaringofstoragecabinetsformeda
smooth,circularhandaroundthespacestation'sinterior.Skylab,however,wasnot
spinning,butthisdidnot.deteritsingeniousoccupants.Theydiscoveredthattheycould
runaroundthetrack,justlikemiceinasquirrelcage,toproducearesultvisually
indistinguishablefromthatshownin2001.Andtheytelevisedthewholeexercisebackto
Earth(needInametheaccompanyingmusic?)withthecomment:
'StanleyKubrickshouldseethis.'Asinduecoursehedid,becauseIsenthimthe
telecinerecording.(InevergotitbackStanleyusesatameBlackHoleasafilingsystem.)
YetanotherlinkbetweenfilmandrealityisthepaintingbyApolloSoyuzCommander,
CosmonautAlexeiLeonov,'NeartheMoon'.Ifirstsawitin1968,when2001was
presentedattheUnitedNationsConferenceonthePeacefulUsesofOuterSpace.
Immediatelyafterthescreening,Alexeipointedouttomethathisconcept(onpage32of
theLeonovSokolovbookTheStarsAreAwaitingUs,Moscow,1967)showsexactlythe
samelineupasthemovie'sopening:theEarthrisingbeyondtheMoon,andtheSun
risingbeyondthemboth.Hisautographedsketchofthepaintingnowhangsonmyoffice
wallforfurtherdetailsseeChapter12.
Perhapsthisistheappropriatepointtoidentifyanotherandlesswellknownname
appearinginthesepages,thatofHsueshenTsien.In1936,withthegreatTheodorevon
KarmanandFrankJ.Malina,DrTsienfoundedtheGuggenheimAeronauticalLaboratory
oftheCaliforniaInstituteofTechnology(GALCIT)thedirectancestorofPasadena's
famedJetPropulsionLaboratory.HewasalsothefirstGoddardProfessoratCaltech,and
contributedgreatlytoAmericanrocketresearchthroughthe1940s.Later,inoneofthe
mostdisgracefulepisodesoftheMcCarthyperiod,hewasarrestedontrumpedup
securitychargeswhenhewishedtoreturntohisnativecountry.Forthelasttwodecades,
hehasbeenoneoftheleadersoftheChineserocketprogramme.
Finally,thereisthestrangecaseofthe'EyeofJapetus'Chapter35of2001.HereI
describeastronautBowman'sdiscoveryontheSaturnianmoonofacuriousfeather'a
brilliantwhiteoval,aboutfourhundredmileslongandtwohundredwide...perfectly
symmetrical...andsosharpedgedthatitalmostlooked...paintedonthefaceofthelittle
moon.'Ashecamecloser,Bowmanconvincedhimselfthat'thebrightellipsesetagainst
thedarkbackgroundofthesatellitewasahugeemptyeyestaringathimashe
approached...'Later,henoticed'thetinyblackdotattheexactcentre',whichturnsoutto
betheMonolith(oroneofitsavatars).
Well,whenVoyager1transmittedthefirstphotographsofIapetus,theydidindeed
disclosealarge,clearcutwhiteovalwithatinyblackdotatthecentre.CarlSagan

promptlysentmeaprintfromtheJetPropulsionLaboratorywiththecrypticannotation
'Thinkingofyou...'IdonotknowwhethertoberelievedordisappointedthatVoyager2
hasleftthematterstillopen.
Inevitably,therefore,thestoryyouareabouttoreadissomethingmuchmorecomplex
thanastraightforwardsequeltotheearliernovelorthemovie.Wherethesediffer,Ihave
followedthescreenversionhowever,Ihavebeenmoreconcernedwithmakingthisbook
selfconsistent,andasaccurateaspossibleinthelightofcurrentknowledge.
Which,ofcourse,willoncemorebeoutofdateby2001...
ArthurC.Clarke
COLOMBO,SRILANKA
JANUARY1982

I
LEONOV

1
MeetingattheFocus

Eveninthismetricage,itwasstillthethousandfoottelescope,notthethreehundred
metreone.Thegreatsaucersetamongthemountainswasalreadyhalffullofshadow,as
thetropicalsundroppedswiftlytorest,butthetriangularraftoftheantennacomplex
suspendedhighaboveitscentrestillblazedwithlight.Fromthegroundfarbelow,itwould
havetakenkeeneyestonoticethetwohumanfiguresintheaerialmazeofgirders,
supportcables,andwaveguides.
'Thetimehascome,'saidDrDimitriMoisevitchtohisoldfriendHeywoodFloyd,'totalk
ofmanythings.Ofshoesandspaceshipsandsealingwax,butmostlyofmonolithsand
malfunctioningcomputers.'
'Sothat'swhyyougotmeawayfromtheconference.NotthatIreallymindI'veheard
CarlgivethatSETIspeechsomanytimesthatIcanreciteitmyself.Andtheviewcertainly
isfantasticyouknow,allthetimesI'vebeentoArecibo,I'venevermadeitupheretothe
antennafeed.'

'Shameonyou.I'vebeenherethreetimes.Imaginewe'relisteningtothewhole
universebutnoonecanoverhearus.Solet'stalkaboutyourproblem.'
'Whatproblem?'
'Tostartwith,whyyouhadtoresignasChairmanoftheNationalCouncilon
Astronautics.'
'Ididn'tresign.TheUniversityofHawaiipaysalotbetter.'
'Okayyoudidn'tresignyouwereonejumpaheadofthem.Afteralltheseyears,
Woody,youcan'tfoolme,andyoushouldgiveuptrying.IftheyofferedtheNCAbackto
yourightnow,wouldyouhesitate?'
'Allright,youoldCossak.Whatdoyouwanttoknow?'
'Firstofall,therearelotsoflooseendsinthereportyoufinallyissuedaftersomuch
prodding.We'lloverlooktheridiculousandfranklyillegalsecrecywithwhichyourpeople
duguptheTychomonolith'
'Thatwasn'tmyidea.'
'Gladtohearit:Ievenbelieveyou.Andweappreciatethefactthatyou'renowletting
everyoneexaminethethingwhichofcourseiswhatyoushouldhavedoneinthefirst
place.Notthatit'sdonemuchgood...'
Therewasagloomysilencewhilethetwomencontemplatedtheblackenigmaupthere
ontheMoon,stillcontemptuouslydefyingalltheweaponsthathumaningenuitycould
bringtobearuponit.ThentheRussianscientistcontinued.
'Anyway,whatevertheTychomonolithmaybe,there'ssomethingmoreimportantoutat
Jupiter.That'swhereitsentitssignal,afterall.Andthat'swhereyourpeopleraninto
trouble.Sorryaboutthat,bythewaythoughFrankPoolewastheonlyoneIknew
personally.Methimatthe'98IAFCongressheseemedagoodman.'
'Thankyoutheywereallgoodmen.Iwishweknewwhathappenedtothem.'
'Whateveritwas,surelyyou'lladmitthatitnowconcernsthewholehumanracenot
merelytheUnitedStates.Youcannolongertrytouseyourknowledgeforpurelynational
advantage.'
'Dimitriyouknowperfectlywellthatyoursidewouldhavedoneexactlythesamething.
Andyou'dhavehelped.'

'You'reabsolutelyright.Butthat'sancienthistorylikethejustdepartedadministration
ofyoursthatwasresponsibleforthewholemess.WithanewPresident,perhapswiser
counselswillprevail.'
'Possibly.Doyouhaveanysuggestions,andaretheyofficialorjustpersonalhopes?'
'Entirelyunofficialatthemoment.Whatthebloodypoliticianscallexploratorytalks.
WhichIshallflatlydenyeveroccurred.'
'Fairenough.Goon.'
'Okayhere'sthesituation.You'reassemblingDiscovery2inparkingorbitasquicklyas
youcan,butyoucan'thopetohaveitreadyinlessthanthreeyears,whichmeansyou'll
missthenextlaunchwindow,
'Ineitherconfirmnordeny.RememberI'mmerelyahumbleuniversitychancellor,the
othersideoftheworldfromtheAstronauticsCouncil.'
'AndyourlasttriptoWashingtonwasjustaholidaytoseeoldfriends,Isuppose.To
continue:ourownAlexeiLeonov,
'IthoughtyouwerecallingitGhermanTitov.'
'Wrong,Chancellor.ThedearoldCIA'sletyoudownagain.Leonovitis,asoflast
January.Anddon'tletanyoneknowItoldyouitwillreachJupiteratleastayearaheadof
Discovery.'
'Don'tletanyoneknowItoldyouwewereafraidofthat.Butdogoon.'
'Becausemybossesarejustasstupidandshortsightedasyours,theywanttogoit
alone.Whichmeansthatwhateverwentwrongwithyoumayhappentous,andwe'llallbe
backtosquareoneorworse.'
'Whatdoyouthinkwentwrong?We'rejustasbaffledasyouare.Anddon'ttellmeyou
haven'tgotallofDaveBowman'stransmissions.'
'Ofcoursewehave.Rightuptothatlast"MyGod,it'sfullofstars!"We'veevendonea
stressanalysisonhisvoicepatterns.Wedon'tthinkhewashallucinatinghewastryingto
describewhatheactuallysaw.'
'Andwhatdoyoumakeofhisdopplershift?'
'Completelyimpossible,ofcourse.Whenwelosthissignal,hewasrecedingatatenth
ofthespeedoflight.Andhe'dreachedthatinlessthantwominutes.Aquarterofamillion
gravities!'

'Sohemusthavebeenkilledinstantly.'
'Don'tpretendtobenaive,Woody.Yourspacepodradiosaren'tbuilttowithstandeven
ahundredthofthatacceleration.Iftheycouldsurvive,socouldBowmanatleast,untilwe
lostcontact.'
'Justdoinganindependentcheckonyourdeductions.Fromthereon,we'reasmuchin
thedarkasyouare.Ifyouare.'
'MerelyplayingwithlotsofcrazyguessesI'dbeashamedtotellyou.Yetnoneofthem,
Isuspect,willbehalfascrazyasthetruth.'
Insmallcrimsonexplosionsthenavigationwarninglightswinkedonallaroundthem,
andthethreeslimtowerssupportingtheantennacomplexbegantoblazelikebeacons
againstthedarklingsky.Thelastredsliverofthesunvanishedbelowthesurrounding
hillsHeywoodFloydwaitedfortheGreenFlash,whichhehadneverseen.Onceagain,
hewasdisappointed.
'So,Dimitri,'hesaid,'let'sgettothepoint.Justwhatareyoudrivingat?'
'TheremustbeavastamountofpricelessinformationstoredinDiscovery'sdatabanks
presumablyit'sstillbeinggathered,eventhoughtheship'sstoppedtransmitting.We'dlike
tohavethat.'
'Fairenough.Butwhenyougetoutthere,andLeonovmakesarendezvous,what'sto
preventyoufromboardingDiscoveryandcopyingeverythingyouwant?'
'IneverthoughtI'dhavetoremindyouthatDiscoveryisUnitedStatesterritory,andan
unauthorizedentrywouldbepiracy.'
'Exceptintheeventofalifeordeathemergency,whichwouldn'tbedifficulttoarrange.
Afterall,itwouldbehardforustocheckwhatyourboyswereupto,fromabillion
kilometresaway.'
'ThanksforthemostinterestingsuggestionI'llpassiton.Butevenifwewentaboard,it
wouldtakeusweekstolearnallyoursystems,andreadoutallyourmemorybanks.What
Iproposeiscooperation.I'mconvincedthat'sthebestideabutwemaybothhaveajob
sellingittoourrespectivebosses.'
'YouwantoneofourastronautstoflywithLeonov?'
'Yespreferablyanengineerwho'sspecializedinDiscovery'ssystems.Liketheones
you'retrainingatHoustontobringtheshiphome.'
'Howdidyouknowthat?'

'Forheaven'ssake,WoodyitwasonAviationWeek'svideotextatleastamonthago.'
'Iamoutoftouchnobodytellsmewhat'sbeendeclassified.'
'AllthemorereasontospendtimeinWashington.Willyoubackmeup?'
'Absolutely.Iagreewithyouonehundredpercent.But'
'Butwhat?'
'Webothhavetodealwithdinosaurswithbrainsintheirtails.Someofminewillargue:
LettheRussiansrisktheirnecks,hurryingouttoJupiter.We'llbethereanywayacouple
ofyearslaterandwhat'sthehurry?'
Foramomenttherewassilenceontheantennaraft,exceptforafaintcreakfromthe
immensesupportingcablesthathelditsuspendedahundredmetresinthesky.Then
Moisevitchcontinued,soquietlythatFloydhadtostraintohearhim:'Hasanyonechecked
Discovery'sorbitlately?'
'Ireallydon'tknowbutIsupposeso.Anyway,whybother?It'saperfectlystableone.'
'Indeed.LetmetactlesslyremindyouofanembarrassingincidentfromtheoldNASA
days.YourfirstspacestationSkylab.Itwassupposedtostayupatleastadecade,but
youdidn'tdoyourcalculationsright.Theairdragintheionospherewasbadly
underestimated,anditcamedownyearsaheadofschedule.I'msureyourememberthat
littlecliffhanger,eventhoughyouwereaboyatthetime.'
'ItwastheyearIgraduated,andyouknowit.ButDiscoverydoesn'tgoanywherenear
Jupiter.Evenatperigeeer,perijoveit'smuchtoohightobeaffectedbyatmospheric
drag.'
'I'vealreadysaidenoughtogetmeexiledtomydachaagainandyoumightnotbe
allowedtovisitmenexttime.Sojustaskyourtrackingpeopletodotheirjobmore
carefully,willyou?AndremindthemthatJupiterhasthebiggestmagnetosphereinthe
SolarSystem.'
'Iunderstandwhatyou'redrivingatmanythanks.Anythingelsebeforewegodown?
I'mstartingtofreeze.'
'Don'tworry,oldfriend.AssoonasyouletallthisfilterthroughtoWashingtonwaita
weekorsountilI'mclearthingsaregoingtogetvery,veryhot.'

TheHouseoftheDolphins

Thedolphinsswamintothediningroomeveryevening,justbeforesunset.Onlyonce
sinceFloydhadoccupiedtheChancellor'sresidencehadtheybrokentheirroutine.That
wasthedayofthe'05tsunami,which,fortunately,hadlostmostofitspowerbeforeit
reachedHilo.Thenexttimehisfriendsfailedtoturnuponschedule,Floydwouldthrow
thefamilyintothecarandheadforhighground,inthegeneraldirectionofMaunaKea.
Charmingthoughtheywere,hehadtoadmitthattheirplayfulnesswassometimesa
nuisance.Thewealthymarinegeologistwhohaddesignedthehousehadneverminded
gettingwetbecauseheusuallyworebathingtrunksorless.Buttherehadbeenone
unforgettableoccasionwhentheentireBoardofRegents,infulleveningattire,hadbeen
sippingcocktailsaroundthepoolwhileawaitingthearrivalofadistinguishedguestfrom
themainland.Thedolphinshaddeduced,correctly,thattheywouldgetsecondbilling.So
thevisitorwasquitesurprisedtobegreetedbyabedraggledcommitteeinillfitting
bathrobesandthebuffethadbeenverysalty.
FloydoftenwonderedwhatMarionwouldhavethoughtofhisstrangeandbeautiful
homeontheedgeofthePacific.Shehadneverlikedthesea,buttheseahadwoninthe
end.Thoughtheimagewasslowlyfading,hecouldstillrecalltheflashingscreenonwhich
hehadfirstreadthewords:DRFLOYDURGENTANDPERSONAL.Andthenthe
scrollinglinesoffluorescentprintthathadswiftlyburnedtheirmessageintohismind:

REGRETTOINFORMYOULONDONWASHINGTONFLIGHT452REPORTED
DOWNOFFNEWFOUNDLAND.RESCUECRAFTPROCEEDINGTOLOCATIONBUT
FEARNOSURVIVORS.

Apartfromanaccidentoffate,hewouldhavebeenonthatflight.Forafewdays,he
hadalmostregrettedtheEuropeanSpaceAdministrationbusinessthathaddelayedhim
inParisthathaggleovertheSolarispayloadhadsavedhislife.
Andnow,hehadanewjob,anewhomeandanewwife.Fatehadalsoplayedan
ironicrolehere.TherecriminationsandinquiriesovertheJupitermissionhaddestroyed
hisWashingtoncareer,butamanofhisabilitywasneverunemployedforlong.Themore
leisurelytempoofuniversitylifehadalwaysappealedtohim,andwhencombinedwith
oneoftheworld'smostbeautifullocationsithadprovedirresistible.Hehadmetthe
womanwhowastobehissecondwifeonlyamonthafterhehadbeenappointed,while
watchingthefirefountainsofKilaueawithacrowdoftourists.

WithCarolinehehadfoundthecontentmentthatisjustasimportantashappiness,and
longerlasting.ShehadbeenagoodstepmothertoMarion'stwodaughters,andhadgiven
himChristopher.Despitethetwentyyearagedifferencebetweenthem,sheunderstood
hismoodsandcouldweanhimoutofhisoccasionaldepressions.Thankstoher,hecould
nowcontemplatethememoryofMarionwithoutgrief,thoughnotwithoutawistfulsadness
thatwouldremainwithhimfortherestofhislife.
CarolinewasthrowingfishtothelargestdolphinthebigmaletheycalledScarback
whenagentleticklingonFloyd'swristannouncedanincomingcall.Hetappedtheslim
metalbandtoquenchthesilentalarmandforestalltheaudibleone,thenwalkedtothe
nearestofthecomsetsscatteredaroundtheroom.
'Chancellorhere.Who'scalling?'
'Heywood?ThisisVictor.Howareyou?'
Inafractionofasecond,awholekaleidoscopeofemotionsflashedthroughFloyd's
mind.Firsttherewasannoyance:hissuccessorand,hewassure,principalcontriverof
hisdownfallhadneveronceattemptedtocontacthimsincehisdeparturefrom
Washington.Thencamecuriosity:whatdidtheyhavetotalkabout?Nextwasastubborn
determinationtobeasunhelpfulaspossible,thenshameathisownchildishness,and,
finally,asurgeofexcitement.VictorMillsoncouldbecallingforonlyonereason.
Inasneutralavoiceashecouldmuster,Floydanswered:
'Ican'tcomplain,Victor.What'stheproblem?'
'Isthisasecurecircuit?'
'No,thankGod.Idon'tneedthemanymore.'
'Um.Well,I'llputitthisway.Yourecallthelastprojectyouadministered?'
'I'mnotlikelytoforget,especiallyastheSubcommitteeonAstronauticscalledmeback
togivemoreevidenceonlyamonthago.'
'Ofcourse,ofcourse.Ireallymustgetaroundtoreadingyourstatement,whenIhavea
moment.ButI'vebeensobusywiththefollowup,andthat'stheproblem.'
'Ithoughtthateverythingwasrightonschedule.'
'Itisunfortunately.There'snothingwecandotoadvanceiteventhehighestpriority
wouldmakeonlyafewweeks'difference.Andthatmeanswe'llbetoolate.'
'Idon'tunderstand,'saidFloydinnocently.'Thoughwedon'twanttowastetime,of
course,there'snorealdeadline.'

'Nowthereisandtwoofthem.'
'Youamazeme.'
IfVictornoticedanyirony,heignoredit.'Yes,therearetwodeadlinesonemanmade,
onenot.Itnowturnsoutthatwewon'tbethefirsttogetbacktotheer,sceneofthe
action.Ouroldrivalswillbeatusbyatleastayear.'
'Toobad.'
'That'snottheworst.Eveniftherewerenocompetition,we'dbetoolate.Therewouldn't
beanythingtherewhenwearrive.'
'That'sridiculous.I'msureI'dhaveheardifCongresshadrepealedthelawof
gravitation.'
'I'mserious.Thesituationisn'tstableIcan'tgivedetailsnow.Willyoubeinfortherest
oftheevening?'
'Yes,'Floydanswered,realizingwithsomepleasurethatitmustnowbewellafter
midnightinWashington.
'Good.You'llhaveapackagedeliveredwithinthehour.Callmebackassoonasyou've
hadthetimetostudyit.'
'Won'titberatherlatebythen?'
'Yes,itwillbe.Butwe'vewastedtoomuchtimealready.Idon'twanttoloseanymore.'
Millsonwastruetohisword.Exactlyanhourlateralargesealedenvelopewas
deliveredbyanAirForcecolonel,noless,whosatpatientlychattingwithCarolinewhile
Floydreaditscontents.'I'mafraidI'llhavetotakeitawaywhenyou'vefinished,'thehigh
rankingmessengerboysaidapologetically.
'I'mgladtohearit,'Floydanswered,ashesettleddowninhisfavouritereading
hammock.
Thereweretwodocuments,thefirstveryshort.ItwasstampedTOPSECRET,though
theTOPhadbeencrossedoutandthemodificationendorsedbythreesignatures,all
completelyillegible.Obviouslyanextractfromsomemuchlongerreport,ithadbeen
heavilycensoredandwasfullofblanks,whichmadeitmostannoyingtoread.
Fortunately,itsconclusionscouldbesummedupinonesentence:TheRussianswould
reachDiscoverylongbeforeitsrightfulownerscoulddoso.AsFloydalreadyknewthis,
heturnedquicklytotheseconddocumentthoughnotbeforenoticingwithsatisfaction
thatthistimethey'dmanagedtogetthenameright.Asusual,Dimitrihadbeenperfectly

accurate.ThenextmannedexpeditiontoJupiterwouldtravelaboardspacecraft
CosmonautAlexeiLeonov.
Theseconddocumentwasmuchlongerandwasmerelyconfidentialindeed,itwasin
theformofadraftlettertoScience,awaitingfinalapprovalbeforepublication.Itssnappy
titlewas'SpaceVehicleDiscovery:AnomalousOrbitalBehavior'.
Thenfollowedadozenpagesofmathematicsandastronomicaltables.Floydskimmed
throughthese,pickingoutthewordsfromthemusic,andtryingtodetectanynoteof
apologyorevenembarrassment.Whenhehadfinished,hewascompelledtogiveasmile
ofwryadmiration.Noonecouldpossiblyguessthatthetrackingstationsandephemeris
calculatorshadbeencaughtbysurprise,andthatafranticcoverupwasinprogress.
Headswoulddoubtlessroll,andheknewthatVictorMillsonwouldenjoyrollingthem if
hiswasnotoneofthefirsttogo.Thoughtodohimjustice,Victorhadcomplainedwhen
Congresshadcutfundsforthetrackingnetwork.Maybethatwouldgethimoffthehook.
'Thankyou,Colonel,'saidFloydwhenhehadfinishedskimmingthepapers.'Quitelike
oldtimes,havingclassifieddocuments.That'sonethingIdon'tmiss.'
Thecolonelplacedtheenvelopecarefullybackinhisbriefcase,andactivatedthelocks.
'DrMillsonwouldlikeyoutoreturnhiscallassoonaspossible.'
'Iknow.ButIdon'thaveasecurecircuit,I'vesomeimportantvisitorscomingshortly,
andI'mdamnedifI'mdrivingdowntoyourofficeinHilojusttosayI'vereadtwo
documents.TellhimthatI'vestudiedthemcarefullyandawaitanyfurthercommunication
withinterest.'
Foramomentitlookedasifthecolonelwasgoingtoargue.Thenhethoughtbetterof
it,madeastifffarewell,anddepartedmoroselyintothenight.
'Now,whatwasallthatabout?'askedCaroline.'We'renotexpectinganyvisitors
tonight,importantorotherwise.'
'Ihatebeingpushedaround,particularlybyVictorMillson.'
'Bethecallsyoubackassoonasthecolonelreports.'
'Thenwemustswitchoffvideoandmakesomepartynoises.Buttobeperfectlytruthful,
atthisstageIreallydon'thaveanythingtosay.'
'Aboutwhat,ifI'mallowedtoask.'
'Sorry,dear.ItseemsthatDiscoveryisplayingtricksonus.Wethoughttheshipwasin
astableorbit,butitmaybeabouttocrash.'

'IntoJupiter?'
'Ohnothat'squiteimpossible.BowmanleftitparkedattheinnerLagrangepoint,on
thelinebetweenJupiterandIo.Itshouldhavestayedthere,moreorless,thoughthe
perturbationsoftheoutermoonswouldhavemadeitwanderbackandforth.
'Butwhat'shappeningnowissomethingveryodd,andwedon'tknowthefull
explanation.Discovery'sdriftingmoreandmorerapidlytowardIothoughsometimesit
accelerates,andsometimesevenmovesbackward.Ifitkeepsthisup,itwillimpactwithin
twoorthreeyears.'
'Ithoughtthiscouldn'thappeninastronomy.Isn'tcelestialmechanicssupposedtobe
anexactscience?Sowepoorbackwardbiologistswerealwaysbeingtold.'
'Itisanexactscience,wheneverythingistakenintoaccount.Butsomeverystrange
thingsgoonaroundIo.Apartfromitsvolcanoes,therearetremendouselectrical
dischargesandJupiter'smagneticfieldisspinningroundeverytenhours.Sogravitation
isn'ttheonlyforceactingonDiscoveryweshouldhavethoughtofthissoonermuch
sooner.'
'Well,it'snotyourproblemanymore.Youshouldbethankfulforthat.'
'Yourproblem'theveryexpressionthatDimitrihadused.AndDimitricunningoldfox!
hadknownhimmuchlongerthanCaroline.
Itmightnotbehisproblem,butitwasstillhisresponsibility.Thoughmanyothershad
beeninvolved,inthefinalanalysishehadapprovedtheplansfortheJupiterMission,and
supervisedtheirexecution.
Evenatthetime,hehadhadqualmshisviewsasascientisthadconflictedwithhis
dutiesasabureaucrat.Hecouldhavespokenout,andopposedtheoldadministration's
shortsightedpoliciesthoughtowhatextentthosehadactuallycontributedtothedisaster
wasstilluncertain.
Perhapsitwasbestifheclosedthischapterofhislife,andfocusedallhisthoughtsand
energiesuponhisnewcareer.ButinhisheartheknewthatwasimpossibleevenifDimitri
hadnotrevivedoldguilts,theywouldhavesurfacedoftheirownaccord.
Fourmenhaddied,andonehaddisappeared,outthereamongthemoonsofJupiter.
Therewasbloodonhishands,andhedidnotknowhowtowashthemclean.

3
SAL9000

DrSivasubramanianChandrasegarampillai,ProfessorofComputerScienceatthe
UniversityofIllinois,Urbana,alsohadanabidingsenseofguilt,butoneverydifferent
fromHeywoodFloyd's.Thoseofhisstudentsandcolleagueswhooftenwonderedifthe
littlescientistwasquitehumanwouldnothavebeensurprisedtolearnthathenever
thoughtofthedeadastronauts.DrChandragrievedonlyforhislostchild,HAL9000.
Evenafteralltheseyears,andhisendlessreviewsofthedataradioedbackfrom
Discovery,hewasnotsurewhathadgonewrong.Hecouldonlyformulatetheoriesthe
factsheneededwerefrozeninHal'scircuits,outtherebetweenJupiterandIo.
Thesequenceofeventshadbeenclearlyestablished,uptothemomentofthetragedy
thereafter,CommanderBowmanhadfilledinafewmoredetailsonthebriefoccasions
whenhehadreestablishedcontact.Butknowingwhathappeneddidnotexplainwhy.
Thefirsthintoftroublehadbeenlateinthemission,whenHalhadreportedthe
imminentfailureoftheunitthatkeptDiscovery'smainantennaalignedtoEarth.Ifthehalf
billionkilometrelongradiobeamwanderedofftarget,theshipwouldbeblind,deaf,and
dumb.
Bowmanhimselfhadgoneouttoretrievethesuspectunit,butwhenitwastestedit
appeared,toeveryone'ssurprise,tobeinperfectlygoodorder.Theautomaticchecking
circuitscouldfindnothingwrongwithit.NorcouldHal'stwin,SAL9000,backonEarth,
whentheinformationwastransmittedtoUrbana.
ButHalhadinsistedontheaccuracyofhisdiagnosis,makingpointedremarksabout
'humanerror'.Hehadsuggestedthatthecontrolunitbeputbackintheantennauntilit
finallyfailed,sothatthefaultcouldbepreciselylocated.Noonecouldthinkofany
objection,fortheunitcouldbereplacedinminutes,evenifitdidbreakdown.
BowmanandPoole,however,hadnotbeenhappytheybothfeltthatsomethingwas
wrong,thoughneithercouldpinpointit.FormonthstheyhadacceptedHalasthethird
memberoftheirtinyworld,andknewhiseverymood.Thentheatmosphereaboardthe
shiphadsubtlyalteredtherewasasenseofstrainintheair.
FeelingratherliketraitorsasadistraughtBowmanhadlaterreportedtoMission
Controlthehumantwothirdsofthecrewhaddiscussedwhatshouldbedoneiftheir
colleaguewasindeedmalfunctioning.Intheworstpossiblecase,Halwouldhavetobe
relievedofallhishigherresponsibilities.Thiswouldinvolvedisconnectionthecomputer
equivalentofdeath.
Despitetheirdoubts,theyhadcarriedouttheagreedprogramme.Poolehadflownout
ofDiscoveryinoneofthelittlespacepodsthatservedastransportersandmobile
workshopsduringextravehicularactivities.Sincethesomewhattrickyjobofreplacingthe

antennaunitcouldnotbeperformedbythepod'sownmanipulators,Poolehadstartedto
doithimself.
Whathappenedthenhadbeenmissedbytheexternalcameras,whichwasa
suspiciousdetailinitself.Bowman'sfirstwarningofdisasterwasacryfromPoolethen,
silence.AmomentlaterhesawPoole,tumblingoverandover,spinningawayintospace.
Hisownpodhadrammedhim,andwasitselfblastingawayoutofcontrol.
AsBowmanadmittedlater,hehadthenmadeseveralseriousmistakesallbutone
excusable.InthehopeofrescuingPoole,ifhewasstillalive,Bowmanlaunchedhimselfin
anotherspacepodleavingHalinfullcontroloftheship.
TheEVAwasinvainPoolewasdeadwhenBowmanreachedhim.Numbwithdespair,
hehadcarriedthebodybacktotheshiponlytoberefusedentrybyHal.
ButHalhadunderestimatedhumaningenuityanddetermination.Thoughhehadlefthis
suithelmetintheship,andthushadtoriskdirectexposuretospace,Bowmanforcedhis
wayinbyanemergencyhatchnotundercomputercontrol.Thenheproceededto
lobotomizeHal,unplugginghisbrainmodulesonebyone.
Whenheregainedcontroloftheship,Bowmanmadeanappallingdiscovery.Duringhis
absence,Halhadswitchedoffthelifesupportsystemsofthethreehibernatingastronauts.
Bowmanwasalone,asnomanhadeverbeenbeforeinthewholeofhumanhistory.
Othersmighthaveabandonedthemselvesinhelplessdespair,butnowDavidBowman
provedthatthosewhohadselectedhimhadindeedchosenwell.Hemanagedtokeep
Discoveryoperational,andevenreestablishedintermittentcontactwithMissionControl,
byorientingthewholeshipsothatthejammedantennapointedtowardEarth.
Onitspreordainedtrajectory,DiscoveryhadfinallyarrivedatJupiter.ThereBowman
hadencountered,orbitingamongthemoonsofthegiantplanet,ablackslabofexactlythe
sameshapeasthemonolithexcavatedinthelunarcraterTychobuthundredsoftimes
larger.Hehadgoneoutinaspacepodtoinvestigate,andhaddisappearedleavingthat
final,bafflingmessage:'MyGod,it'sfullofstars!'
ThatmysterywasforotherstoworryaboutDrChandra'soverwhelmingconcernwas
withHal.Iftherewasonethinghisunemotionalmindhated,itwasuncertainty.Hewould
neverbesatisfieduntilheknewthecauseofHal'sbehaviour.Evennow,herefusedtocall
itamalfunctionatmost,itwasan'anomaly'.
Thetinycubbyholeheusedashisinnersanctumwasequippedonlywithaswivelchair,
adeskconsole,andablackboardflankedbytwophotographs.Fewmembersofthe
generalpubliccouldhaveidentifiedtheportraits,butanyonepermittedthusfarwould
haverecognizedtheminstantlyasJohnvonNeumannandAlanTuring,thetwingodsof
thecomputingpantheon.

Therewerenobooks,andnotevenpaperandpencilonthedesk.Allthevolumesinall
thelibrariesoftheworldwereinstantlyavailableatthetouchofChandra'sfingers,andthe
visualdisplaywashissketchbookandwritingpad.Eventheblackboardwasusedonlyfor
visitorsthelasthalferasedblockdiagramuponitboreadatealreadythreeweeksinthe
past.
DrChandralitoneofthevenomouscherootswhichheimportedfromMadras,and
whichwerewidelyandcorrectlybelievedtobehisonlyvice.Theconsolewasnever
switchedoffhecheckedthatnomessageswereflashingimportantlyonthedisplay,then
spokeintothemicrophone.
'Goodmorning,Sal.Soyou'venothingnewforme?'
'No,DrChandra.Haveyouanythingforme?'
ThevoicemighthavebeenthatofanyculturedHinduladyeducatedintheUnited
Statesaswellasherowncountry.Sal'saccenthadnotstartedthatway,butoverthe
yearsshehadpickedupmanyofChandra'sintonations.
Thescientisttappedoutacodeontheboard,switchingSal'sinputstothememorywith
thehighestsecurityrating.Nooneknewthathetalkedtothecomputeronthiscircuitas
henevercouldtoahumanbeing.NomatterthatSaldidnotreallyunderstandmorethan
afractionofwhathesaidherresponsesweresoconvincingthatevenhercreatorwas
sometimesdeceived.Asindeedhewishedtobe:thesesecretcommunicationshelpedto
preservehismentalequilibrium perhapsevenhissanity.
'You'veoftentoldme,Sal,thatwecannotsolvetheproblemofHal'sanomalous
behaviourwithoutmoreinformation.Buthowcanwegetthatinformation?'
'Thatisobvious.SomeonemustreturntoDiscovery.'
'Exactly.Nowitlooksasifthatisgoingtohappen,soonerthanweexpected.'
'Iampleasedtohearthat.'
'Iknewthatyouwouldbe,'answeredChandra,andmeantit.Hehadlongsincebroken
offcommunicationswiththedwindlingbodyofphilosopherswhoarguedthatcomputers
couldnotreallyfeelemotions,butonlypretendedtodoso.
('Ifyoucanprovetomethatyou'renotpretendingtobeannoyed,'hehadonceretorted
scornfullytoonesuchcritic,'I'lltakeyouseriously.'Atthatpoint,hisopponenthadputon
amostconvincingimitationofanger.)
'NowIwanttoexploreanotherpossibility,'Chandracontinued.'Diagnosisisonlythe
firststep.Theprocessisincompleteunlessitleadstoacure.'

'YoubelievethatHalcanberestoredtonormalfunctioning?'
'Ihopeso.Idonotknow.Theremayhavebeenirreversibledamage,andcertainly
majorlossofmemory.'
Hepausedthoughtfully,tookseveralpuffs,thenblewaskilfulsmokeringthatscoreda
bull'seyeonSal'swideanglelens.Ahumanbeingwouldnothaveregardedthisasa
friendlygesturethatwasyetanotherofthemanyadvantagesofcomputers.
'Ineedyourcooperation,Sal.'
'Ofcourse,DrChandra.'
'Theremaybecertainrisks.'
'Whatdoyoumean?'
'Iproposetodisconnectsomeofyourcircuits,particularlythoseinvolvingyourhigher
functions.Doesthisdisturbyou?'
'Iamunabletoanswerthatwithoutmorespecificinformation.'
'Verywell.Letmeputitthisway.Youhaveoperatedcontinuously,haveyounot,since
youwerefirstswitchedon?'
'Thatiscorrect.'
'Butyouareawarethatwehumanbeingscannotdoso.Werequiresleepanalmost
completebreakinourmentalfunctioning,atleastontheconsciouslevel.'
'Iknowthis.ButIdonotunderstandit.'
'Well,youmaybeabouttoexperiencesomethinglikesleep.Probablyallthatwill
happenisthattimewillpass,butyouwillbeunawareout.Whenyoucheckyourinternal
clock,youwilldiscoverthattherearegapsinyourmonitorrecord.Thatisall.'
'Butyousaidthattheremightberisks.Whatarethey?'
'ThereisaveryslightchanceitisimpossibletocomputeitthatwhenIreconnect
yourcircuits,theremaybesomechangesinyourpersonality,yourfuturebehaviour
patterns.Youmayfeeldifferent.Notnecessarilybetter,orworse.'
'Idonotknowwhatthatmeans.'
'I'msorryitmaynotmeananything.Sodon'tworryaboutit.Nowpleaseopenanew
filehereisthename.'Usingthekeyboardinput,Chandratypedout:PHOENIX.

'Doyouknowwhatthatis?'heaskedSal.
Withnodiscerniblepausethecomputerreplied:'Therearetwentyfivereferencesinthe
currentencyclopedia.'
'Whichonedoyouthinkisrelevant?'
'ThetutorofAchilles?'
'Interesting.Ididn'tknowthatone.Tryagain.'
'Afabulousbird,rebornfromtheashesofitsearlierlife.'
'Excellent.NowdoyouunderstandwhyIchoseit?'
'BecauseyouhopethatHalcanbereactivated.'
'Yeswithyourassistance.Areyouready?'
'Notyet.Iwouldliketoaskaquestion.'
'Whatisit?'
'WillIdream?'
'Ofcourseyouwill.Allintelligentcreaturesdream butnooneknowswhy.'Chandra
pausedforamoment,blewanothersmokeringfromthecheroot,andaddedsomething
thathewouldneveradmittoahumanbeing.'PerhapsyouwilldreamaboutHalasI
oftendo.'

4
MissionProfile

EnglishVersion
To:CaptainTatiana(Tanya)Orlova,Commander.SpacecraftCosmonautAlexei
Leonov(UNCOSRegistration081342).
From:NationalCouncilonAstronautics,PennsylvaniaAvenue,Washington

CommissiononOuterSpace,USSRAcademyofScience,KorolyevProspect,Moscow

MissionObjectives
Theobjectivesofyourmissionare,inorderofpriority:
1.ToproceedtotheJoviansystemandrendezvouswithUSSpacecraftDiscovery
(UNCOS01/283).
2.Toboardthisspacecraft,andobtainallpossibleinformationrelatingtoitsearlier
mission.
3.ToreactivateSpacecraftDiscovery'sonboardsystemsand,ifpropellantsuppliesare
adequate,injecttheshipintoanEarthreturnstrajectory.
4TolocatethealienartifactencounteredbyDiscovery,andtoinvestigateittothe
maximumextentpossiblebyremotesensors.
5.Ifitseemsadvisable,andMissionControlconcurs,torendezvouswiththisobjectfor
closerinspection.
6.TocarryoutasurveyofJupiteranditssatellites,asfarasthisiscompatiblewiththe
aboveobjectives.

Itisrealizedthatunforeseencircumstancesmayrequireachangeofpriorities,oreven
makeitimpossibletoachievesomeoftheseobjectives.Itmustbeclearlyunderstoodthat
therendezvouswithSpacecraftDiscoveryisfortheexpresspurposeofobtaining
informationabouttheartifactthismusttakeprecedenceoverallotherobjectives,
includingattemptsatsalvage.

Crew
ThecrewofSpacecraftAlexeiLeonovwillconsistof:
CaptainTatianaOrlova(EngineeringPropulsion)
DrVasiliOrlov(NavigationAstronomy)
DrMaximBrailovsky(EngineeringStructures)

DrAlexanderKovalev(EngineeringCommunications)
DrNikolaiTernovsky(EngineeringControlSystems)
SurgeonCommanderKaterinaRudenko(MedicalLifeSupport)
DrIrmaYakunina(MedicalNutrition)
Inaddition,theUSNationalCouncilonAstronauticswillprovidethefollowingthree
experts:

DrHeywoodFloyddroppedthememorandum,andleanedbackinhischair.Itwasall
settledthepointofnoreturnhadbeenpassed.Evenifhewishedtodoso,therewasno
waytoputbacktheclock.
HeglancedacrossatCaroline,sittingwithtwoyearoldChrisontheedgeofthepool.
Theboywasmoreathomeinthewaterthanonland,andcouldstaysubmergedfor
periodsthatoftenterrifiedvisitors.AndthoughhecouldnotyetspeakmuchHuman,he
alreadyseemedfluentinDolphin.
OneofChristopher'sfriendshadjustswuminfromthePacificandwaspresentinghis
backtobepatted.Youtooareawanderer,thoughtFloyd,inavastandtracklessocean
buthowsmallyourtinyPacificseems,againsttheimmensityIamfacingnow!
Carolinebecameawareofhisgaze,androsetoherfeet.Shelookedathimsombrely,
butwithoutangerallthathadbeenburnedoutinthelastfewdays.Assheapproached,
sheevenmanagedawistfulsmile.
'I'vefoundthatpoemIwaslookingfor,'shesaid.'Itstartslikethis:

Whatisawomanthatyouforsakeher,
Andthehearthfireandthehomeacre,
TogowiththeoldgreyWidowmaker?'

'SorryIdon'tquiteunderstand.WhoistheWidowmaker?'
'Notwho,what.Thesea.Thepoem'salamentbyaVikingwoman.Itwaswrittenby
RudyardKipling,ahundredyearsago.'

Floydtookhiswife'shandshedidnotrespond,butneitherdidsheresist.
'Well,Idon'tfeelatalllikeaViking.I'mnotafterloot,andadventureistheverylast
thingIwant.'
'Thenwhyno,Idon'tintendtostartanotherfight.Butitwouldhelpusboth,ifyou
knowexactlywhatyourmotivesare.'
'IwishIcouldgiveyouonesinglegoodreason.Instead,I'veawholehostoflittleones.
ButtheyadduptoafinalanswerIcan'targuewithbelieveme.'
'Ibelieveyou.Butareyousureyou'renotfoolingyourself?'
'IfIam,thensoarealotofotherpeople.Including,mayIremindyou,thePresidentof
theUnitedStates.'
'I'mnotlikelytoforget.Butsupposejustsupposethathehadn'taskedyou.Would
youhavevolunteered?'
'Icananswerthattruthfully:No.Itwouldneverhaveoccurredtome.President
Mordecai'scallwasthebiggestshockofmylife.ButwhenIthoughtitover,Irealizedhe
wasperfectlyright.YouknowIdon'tgoinforfalsemodesty.Iamthebestqualifiedman
forthejobwhenthespacedocsgivetheirfinalokay.AndyoushouldknowthatI'mstillin
prettygoodshape.'
Thatbroughtthesmilehehadintended.
'SometimesIwonderifyou'dsuggestedityourself.'
Thethoughthadindeedoccurredtohimbuthecouldanswerhonestly.
'Iwouldneverhavedonesowithoutconsultingyou.'
'I'm gladyoudidn't.Idon'tknowwhatI'dhavesaid.'
'Icouldstillturnitdown.'
'Nowyou'retalkingnonsense,andyouknowit.Evenifyoudid,you'dhatemeforthe
restofyourlifeandyou'dneverforgiveyourself.Youhavetoostrongasenseofduty.
Maybethat'soneofthereasonsImarriedyou.'
Duty!Yes,thatwasthekeyword,andwhatmultitudesitcontained.Hehadadutyto
himself,tohisfamily,totheUniversity,tohispastjob(eventhoughhehadleftitundera
cloud),tohiscountryandtothehumanrace.Itwasnoteasytoestablishthepriorities
andsometimestheyconflictedwithoneanother.

Therewereperfectlylogicalreasonswhyheshouldgoonthemissionandequally
logicalreasons,asmanyofhiscolleagueshadalreadypointedout,whyheshouldnot.
Butperhapsinthefinalanalysis,thechoicehadbeenmadebyhisheart,nothisbrain.
Andevenhere,emotionurgedhimintwooppositedirections.
Curiosity,guilt,thedeterminationtofinishajobthathadbeenbadlybotchedtheyall
combinedtodrivehimtowardJupiterandwhatevermightbewaitingthere.Ontheother
hand,fearhewashonestenoughtoadmitthatunitedwithloveofhisfamilytokeep
himonEarth.Yethehadneverhadanyrealdoubtshehadmadehisdecisionalmost
instantly,andhaddeflectedallofCaroline'sargumentsasgentlyashecould.
Andtherewasoneotherconsolingthoughtthathehadnotyetriskedsharingwithhis
wife.Thoughhewouldbegonetwoandahalfyears,allbutthefiftydaysatJupiterwould
bespentintimelesshibernation.Whenhereturned,thegapbetweentheirageswould
havenarrowedbymorethantwoyears.
Hewouldhavesacrificedthepresentsothattheycouldsharealongerfuturetogether.

5
Leonov

Themonthscontractedtoweeks,theweeksdwindledtodays,thedaysshrivelledto
hoursandsuddenlyHeywoodFloydwasoncemoreattheCapespacewardboundfor
thefirsttimesincethattriptoClaviusBaseandtheTychomonolith,somanyyearsago.
Butthistimehewasnotalone,andtherewasnosecrecyaboutthemission.Afew
seatsaheadofhimrodeDrChandra,alreadyengagedinadialoguewithhisbriefcase
computer,andquiteoblivioustohissurroundings.
OneofFloyd'ssecretamusements,whichhehadneverconfidedtoanyone,was
spottingsimilaritiesbetweenhumanbeingsandanimals.Theresemblancesweremore
oftenflatteringthaninsulting,andhislittlehobbywasalsoaveryusefulaidtomemory.
DrChandrawaseasytheadjectivebirdlikespranginstantlytomind.Hewastiny,
delicate,andallhismovementswereswiftandprecise.Butwhichbird?Obviouslyavery
intelligentone.Magpie?Tooperkyandacquisitive.Owl?Notooslowmoving.Perhaps
sparrowwoulddonicely.
WalterCurnow,thesystemsspecialistwhowouldhavetheformidablejobofgetting
Discoveryoperationalagain,wasamoredifficultmatter.Hewasalarge,huskyman,

certainlynotatallbirdlike.Onecouldusuallyfindamatchsomewhereinthevast
spectrumofdogs,butnocanineseemedtofit.OfcourseCurnowwasabear.Notthe
sulky,dangerouskind,butthefriendlygoodnaturedtype.Andperhapsthiswas
appropriateitremindedFloydoftheRussiancolleagueshewouldsoonbejoining.They
hadbeenupinorbitfordays,engagedintheirfinalchecks.
Thisisthegreatmomentofmylife,Floydtoldhimself.NowIamleavingonamission
thatmaydeterminethefutureofthehumanrace.Buthedidnotfeelanysenseof
exultationallhecouldthinkof,duringthelastminutesofthecountdown,werethewords
hehadwhisperedjustbeforehehadlefthome:'Goodbye,mydearlittlesonwillyou
remembermewhenIreturn?'AndhestillfeltresentmenttowardCarolinebecauseshe
wouldnotawakenthesleepingchildforonefinalembraceyetheknewthatshehadbeen
wise,anditwasbetterthatway.
HismoodwasshatteredbyasuddenexplosivelaughDrCurnowwassharingajoke
withhiscompanionsaswellasalargebottlethathehandledasdelicatelyasabarely
subcriticalmassofplutonium.
'Hey,Heywood,'hecalled,'theytellmeCaptainOrlova'slockedupallthedrinks,sothis
isyourlastchance.ChteauThierry'95.Sorryabouttheplasticcups.'
AsFloydsippedatthereallysuperbchampagne,hefoundhimselfcringingmentallyat
thethoughtofCurnow'sguffawreverberatingallthewayacrosstheSolarSystem.Much
asheadmiredtheengineer's,ability,asatravellingcompanionCurnowmightprove
somethingofastrain.AtleastDrChandrawouldnotpresentsuchproblemsFloydcould
hardlyimaginehimsmiling,letalonelaughing.And,ofcourse,heturneddownthe
champagnewithabarelyperceptibleshudder.Curnowwaspoliteenough,orglad
enough,nottoinsist.
Theengineerwas,itseemed,determinedtobethelifeandsouloftheparty.Afew
minuteslaterheproducedatwooctaveelectronickeyboard,andgaverapidrenderingsof
'D'yekenJohnPeel'asperformedsuccessivelybypiano,trombone,violin,flute,andfull
organ,withvocalaccompaniment.Hewasreallyverygood,andFloydsoonfoundhimself
singingalongwiththeothers.Butitwasjustaswell,hethought,thatCurnowwouldspend
mostofthevoyageinsilenthibernation.
Themusicdiedwithasuddendespairingdiscordastheenginesignitedandtheshuttle
launcheditselfintothesky.Floydwasgrippedbyafamiliarbutalwaysnewexhilaration
thesenseofboundlesspower,carryinghimupandawayfromthecaresanddutiesof
Earth.Menknewbetterthantheyrealized,whentheyplacedtheabodeofthegods
beyondthereachofgravity.Hewasflyingtowardthatrealmofweightlessnessforthe
moment,hewouldignorethefactthatouttherelaynotfreedom,butthegreatest
responsibilityofhiscareer.
Asthethrustincreased,hefelttheweightofworldsuponhisshouldersbuthe
welcomedit,likeanAtlaswhohadnotyettiredofhisburden.Hedidnotattempttothink,

butwascontenttosavourtheexperience.EvenifhewasleavingEarthforthelasttime,
andsayingfarewelltoallthathehadeverloved,hefeltnosadness.Theroarthat
surroundedhimwasapaeanoftriumph,sweepingawayallminoremotions.
Hewasalmostsorrywhenitceased,thoughhewelcomedtheeasierbreathingandthe
suddensenseoffreedom.Mostoftheotherpassengersstartedtounbuckletheirsafety
straps,preparingtoenjoythethirtyminutesofzerogravityduringthetransferorbit,buta
fewwhowereobviouslymakingthetripforthefirsttimeremainedintheirseats,looking
aroundanxiouslyforthecabinattendants.
'Captainspeaking.We'renowatanaltitudeofthreehundredkilometres,comingup
overthewestcoastofAfrica.Youwon'tseemuchasit'snightdowntherethatglow
aheadisSierraLeoneandthere'sabigtropicalstormovertheGulfofGuinea.Lookat
thoseflashes!
'We'llhavesunriseinfifteenminutes.MeanwhileI'mrollingtheshipsoyoucangeta
goodviewoftheequatorialsatellitebelt.Thebrightestonealmoststraightoverheadis
Intelsat'sAtlantic1AntennaFarm.ThenIntercosmos2tothewestthatfainterstaris
Jupiter.Andifyoulookjustbelowthat,you'llseeaflashinglight,movingagainstthestar
backgroundthat'sthenewChinesespacestation.Wepasswithinahundredkilometres,
notcloseenoughtoseeanythingwiththenakedeye,
Whatweretheyupto?Floydthoughtidly.Hehadexaminedthecloseupsofthesquat
cylindricalstructurewithitscuriousbulges,andsawnoreasontobelievethealarmist
rumoursthatitwasalaserequippedfortress.ButwhiletheBeijingAcademyofScience
ignoredtheUNSpaceCommittee'srepeatedrequestsforatourofinspection,the
Chineseonlyhadthemselvestoblameforsuchhostilepropaganda.

The"CosmonautAlexeiLeonov"wasnotathingofbeautybutfewspacecraftever
were.Oneday,perhaps,thehumanracewoulddevelopanewaestheticgenerationsof
artistsmightarisewhoseidealswerenotbaseduponthenaturalformsofEarthmoulded
bywindandwater.Spaceitselfwasarealmofoftenoverpoweringbeautyunfortunately,
Man'shardwaredidnotyetliveuptoit.
Apartfromthefourhugepropellanttanks,whichwouldbedroppedoffassoonasthe
transferorbitwasachieved,Leonovwassurprisinglysmall.Fromheatshieldtodriveunits
waslessthanfiftymetresitwashardtobelievethatsomodestavehicle,smallerthan
manycommercialaircraft,couldcarrytenmenandwomenhalfwayacrosstheSolar
System.
Butzerogravity,whichmadewallsandroofandfloorinterchangeable,rewroteallthe
rulesofliving.TherewasplentyofroomaboardLeonovevenwheneveryonewasawake
atthesametime,aswascertainlythecaseatthemoment.Indeed,hernormal

complementwasatleastdoubledbyassortednewsmen,engineersmakingfinal
adjustments,andanxiousofficials.
Assoonastheshuttlehaddocked,Floydtriedtofindthecabinhewouldshareayear
hence,whenheawokewithCurnowandChandra.Whenhedidlocateit,hediscovered
thatitwaspackedsotightlywithneatlylabelledboxesofequipmentandprovisionsthat
entrywasalmostimpossible.Hewaswonderingglumlyhowtogetafootinthedoorwhen
oneofthecrew,launchinghimselfskilfullyfromhandholdtohandhold,noticedFloyd's
dilemmaandbrakedtoahalt.
'DrFloydwelcomeaboard.I'mMaxBrailovskyassistantengineer.'
TheyoungRussianspoketheslow,carefulEnglishofastudentwhohadhadmore
lessonswithanelectronictutorthanahumanteacher.Astheyshookhands,Floyd
matchedthefaceandnametothesetofcrewbiographieshehadalreadystudied:Maxim
AndreievitchBrailovsky,agethirtyone,bornLeningrad,specializinginstructurehobbies:
fencing,skycycling,chess.
'Gladtomeetyou,'saidFloyd.'ButhowdoIgetinside?'
'Nottoworry,'saidMaxcheerfully.'Allthatwillbegonewhenyouwakeup.It'swhat
doyousay?expendables.We'lleatyourroomemptybythetimeyouneedit.Ipromise.'
Hepattedhisstomach.
'FinebutmeanwhilewheredoIputmythings?'Floydpointedtothethreesmallcases,
totalmassfiftykilograms,whichcontainedhehopedeverythingheneededforthenext
coupleofbillionkilometres.Ithadbeennoeasytask,shepherdingtheirweightless,but
notinertialess,bulkthroughtheship'scorridorswithonlyafewcollisions.
Maxtooktwoofthebags,glidedgentlythroughthetriangleformedbythreeintersecting
girders,anddivedintoasmallhatchway,apparentlydefyingNewton'sFirstLawinthe
process.Floydacquiredafewextrabruiseswhilefollowinghimafteraconsiderabletime
LeonovseemedmuchbiggerinsidethanouttheyarrivedatadoorlabelledCAPTAIN,
inbothCyrillicandRoman.AlthoughhecouldreadRussianmuchbetterthanhecould
speakit,Floydappreciatedthegesturehehadalreadynoticedthatallship'snoticeswere
bilingual.
AtMax'sknock,agreenlightflashedon,andFloyddriftedinsideasgracefullyashe
could.ThoughhehadspokentoCaptainOrlovamanytimes,theyhadneverbeforemet.
Sohehadtwosurprises.
Itwasimpossibletojudgeaperson'srealsizeovertheviewphonethecamera
somehowconvertedeveryonetothesamescale.CaptainOrlova,standingaswellas
onecouldstandinzerogravitybarelyreachedtoFloyd'sshoulders.Theviewphonehad
alsocompletelyfailedtoconveythepenetratingqualityofthosedazzlingblueeyes,much

themoststrikingfeatureofafacethat,atthemoment,couldnotbefairlyjudgedfor
beauty.
'Hello,Tanya,'saidFloyd.'Hownicetomeetatlast.Butwhatapityaboutyourhair.'
Theygraspedbothhands,likeoldfriends.
'Andnicetohaveyouaboard,Heywood!'answeredthecaptain.HerEnglish,unlike
Brailovsky's,wasquitefluent,thoughheavilyaccented.'Yes,Iwassorrytoloseitbut
hair'sanuisanceonlongmissions,andIliketokeepthelocalbarbersawayaslongas
possible.AndmyapologiesaboutyourcabinasMaxwillhaveexplained,wesuddenly
foundweneededanothertencubicmetresofstoragespace.VasiliandIwon'tbe
spendingmuchtimehereforthenextfewhourspleasefeelfreetouseourquarters.'
'Thankyou.WhataboutCurnowandChandra?'
'I'vemadesimilararrangementswiththecrew.Itmayseemasifwe'retreatingyoulike
cargo'
'Notwantedonvoyage.'
'Pardon?'
'That'salabeltheyusedtoputonthebaggage,intheolddaysofoceantravel.'
Tanyasmiled.'Itdoeslookratherthatway.Butyou'llbewantedallright,attheendof
thetrip.We'realreadyplanningyourrevivalparty.'
'Thatsoundstooreligious.Makeitno,resurrectionwouldbeevenworse!wakingup
party.ButIcanseehowbusyyouareletmedumpmythingsandcontinuemygrand
tour.'
'MaxwillshowyouaroundtakeDrFloydtoVasili,willyou?He'sdowninthedrive
unit.'
Astheydriftedoutofthecaptain'squarters,Floydgavementalgoodmarkstothecrew
selectioncommittee.TanyaOrlovawasimpressiveenoughonpaperinthefleshshewas
almostintimidating,despitehercharm.Iwonderwhatshe'slike,Floydaskedhimself,
whensheloseshertemper.Woulditbefireorice?Onthewhole,I'dprefernottofindout.
FloydwasrapidlyacquiringhisspacelegsbythetimetheyreachedVasiliOrlov,he
wasmanoeuvringalmostasconfidentlyashisguide.ThechiefscientistgreetedFloydas
warmlyashiswifehad.
'Welcomeaboard,Heywood.Howdoyoufeel?'

'Fine,apartfromslowlystarvingtodeath.'
ForamomentOrlovlookedpuzzledthenhisfacesplitintoabroadsmile,
'Oh,I'dforgotten.Well,itwon'tbeforlong.Intenmonths'time,youcaneatasmuchas
youlike.'
Hibernatorswentonalowresiduedietaweekinadvanceforthelasttwentyfour
hours,theytooknothingbutliquid.Floydwasbeginningtowonderhowmuchofhis
increasinglightheadednesswasduetostarvation,howmuchtoCurnow'schampagne,
andhowmuchtozerogravity.
Toconcentratehismind,hescannedthemulticolouredmassofplumbingthat
surroundedthem.
'SothisisthefamousSakharovDrive.It'sthefirsttimeI'veseenafullscaleunit.'
'It'sonlythefourthoneeverbuilt.'
'Ihopeitworks.'
'Ithadbetter.Otherwise,theGorkyCityCouncilwillberenamingSakharovSquare
again.'
ItwasasignofthetimesthataRussiancouldjoke,howeverwryly,abouthiscountry's
treatmentofitsgreatestscientist.FloydwasagainremindedofSakharov'seloquent
speechtotheAcademy,whenhewasbelatedlymadeHerooftheSovietUnion.Prison
andbanishment,hehadtoldhislisteners,weresplendidaidstocreativitynotafew
masterpieceshadbeenbornwithinthewallsofcells,beyondthereachoftheworld's
distractions.Forthatmatter,thegreatestsingleachievementofthehumanintellect,the
Principiaitself,wasaproductofNewton'sselfimposedexilefromplagueriddenLondon.
ThecomparisonwasnotimmodestfromthoseyearsinGorkyhadcomenotonlynew
insightsintothestructureofmatterandtheoriginoftheUniverse,buttheplasma
controllingconceptsthathadledtopracticalthermonuclearpower.Thedriveitself,though
thebestknownandmostpublicizedoutcomeofthatwork,wasmerelyonebyproductof
thatastonishingintellectualoutburst.Thetragedywasthatsuchadvanceshadbeen
triggeredbyinjusticeoneday,perhaps,humanitywouldfindmorecivilizedwaysof
managingitsaffairs.
Bythetimetheyhadleftthechamber,FloydhadlearnedmoreabouttheSakharov
Drivethanhereallywishedtoknow,orexpectedtoremember.Hewaswellacquainted
withitsbasicprinciplestheuseofapulsedthermonuclearreactiontoheatandexpel
virtuallyanypropellantmaterial.Thebestresultswereobtainedwithpurehydrogenasa
workingfluid,butthatwasexcessivelybulkyanddifficulttostoreoverlongperiodsoftime.

Methaneandammoniawereacceptablealternativesevenwatercouldbeused,though
withconsiderablypoorerefficiency.
Leonovwouldcompromisetheenormousliquidhydrogentanksthatprovidedtheinitial
impetuswouldbediscardedwhentheshiphadattainedthenecessaryspeedtocarryitto
Jupiter.Atthedestination,ammoniawouldbeusedforthebrakingandrendezvous
manoeuvres,andtheeventualreturntoEarth.
Thatwasthetheory,checkedandrecheckedinendlesstestsandcomputer
simulations.ButastheillfatedDiscoveryhadshownsowell,allhumanplanswere
subjecttoruthlessrevisionbyNature,orFate,orwhateveronepreferredtocallthe
powersbehindtheUniverse.
'Sothereyouare,DrFloyd,'saidanauthoritativefemalevoice,interruptingVasili's
enthusiasticexplanationofmagnetohydrodynamicfeedback,'Whydidn'tyoureportto
me?'
Floydrotatedslowlyonhisaxisbygentlytorquinghimselfwithonehand.Hesawa
massive,maternalfigurewearingacuriousuniformadornedwithdozensofpocketsand
pouchestheeffectwasnotunlikethatofaCossacktrooperdrapedwithcartridgebelts.
'Nicetomeetyouagain,Doctor.I'mstillexploringIhopeyou'vereceivedmymedical
reportfromHouston.'
'ThosevetsatTeague!Iwouldn'ttrustthemtorecognizefootandmouthdisease!'
FloydknewperfectlywellthemutualrespectfeltbetweenKaterinaRudenkoandthe
OlinTeagueMedicalCenter,evenifthedoctor'sbroadgrinhadnotdiscountedherwords.
Shesawhislookoffrankcuriosity,andproudlyfingeredthewebbingaroundherample
waist.
'Theconventionallittleblackbagisn'tverypracticalinzerogravitythingsfloatoutofit
andaren'ttherewhenyouneedthem.Idesignedthismyself,it'sacompleteminisurgery.
Withthis,Icouldremoveanappendixordeliverababy.'
'Itrustthatparticularproblemwon'tarisehere.'
'Ha!Agooddoctorhastobereadyforeverything.'
Whatacontrast,thoughtFloyd,betweenCaptainOrlovaandDrorshouldhecallher
byhercorrectrankofSurgeonCommander?Rudenko.Thecaptainhadthegraceand
intensityofaprimaballerinathedoctormighthavebeentheprototypeofMotherRussia
stockybuild,flatpeasantface,needingonlyashawltocompletethepicture.Don'tletthat
foolyou,Floydtoldhimself.Thisisthewomanwhosavedatleastadozenlivesduringthe
Komarovdockingaccidentand,inhersparetime,managestoedittheAnnalsofSpace
Medicine.Consideryourselfveryluckytohaveheraboard.

'Now,DrFloyd,you'regoingtohaveplentyoftimelatertoexploreourlittleship.My
colleaguesaretoopolitetosaythis,butthey'veworktodoandyou'reintheway.I'dlike
togetyouallthreeofyouniceandpeacefulasquicklyaswecan.Thenwe'llhaveless
toworryabout.'
'Iwasafraidofthat,butIquiteseeyourpointofview.I'mreadyassoonasyouare.'
'I'malwaysready.Comealongplease.'

Theship'shospitalwasjustlargeenoughtoholdanoperatingtable,twoexercise
bicycles,afewcabinetsofequipment,andanXraymachine.WhileDrRudenkowas
givingFloydaquickbutthoroughexamination,sheaskedunexpectedly:'What'sthatlittle
goldcylinderDrChandracarriesonthechainaroundhisnecksomekindof
communicationsdevice?Hewouldn'ttakeitoffinfact,hewasalmosttooshytotake
anythingoff.'
FloydcouldnothelpsmilingitwaseasytoimaginethemodestIndian'sreactionsto
thisratheroverwhelminglady.
'It'salingam.'
'Awhat?'
'You'rethedoctoryououghttorecognizeit.Thesymbolofmalefertility.'
'Ofcoursestupidofme.IsheapractisingHindu?It'salittlelatetoaskustoarrangea
strictvegetariandiet.'
'Don'tworrywewouldn'thavedonethattoyouwithoutfairwarning.Thoughhewon't
touchalcohol,Chandra'snotfanaticalaboutanythingexceptcomputers.Heoncetoldme
thathisgrandfatherwasapriestinBenares,andgavehimthatlingam it'sbeeninthe
familyforgenerations.'
RathertoFloyd'ssurprise,DrRudenkodidnotshowthenegativereactionhehad
expectedindeed,herexpressionbecameuncharacteristicallywistful.
'Iunderstandhisfeeling.Mygrandmothergavemeabeautifuliconsixteenthcentury.I
wantedtobringitbutitweighsfivekilos.'
Thedoctorbecameabruptlybusinesslikeagain,gaveFloydapainlessinjectionwitha
gasgunhypodermic,andtoldhimtocomebackassoonashewassleepy.That,she
assuredhim,wouldbeinlessthantwohours.

'Meanwhile,relaxcompletely,'sheordered.'There'sanobservationportonthislevel
StationD.6.Whydon'tyougothere?'
Itseemedagoodidea,andFloyddriftedawaywithadocilitythatwouldhavesurprised
hisfriends.DrRudenkoglancedatherwatch,dictatedabriefentryintoherautosec,and
setitsalarmthirtyminutesahead.
WhenhereachedtheD.6viewport,FloydfoundChandraandCurnowalreadythere.
Theylookedathimwithatotallackofrecognition,thenturnedoncemoretowardthe
awesomespectacleoutside.ItoccurredtoFloydandhecongratulatedhimselfonsucha
brilliantobservationthatChandracouldnotreallybeenjoyingtheview.Hiseyeswere
tightlyclosed,
Atotallyunfamiliarplanethungthere,gleamingwithgloriousbluesanddazzlingwhites.
Howstrange,Floydtoldhimself.WhathashappenedtotheEarth?Why,ofcourseno
wonderhedidn'trecognizeit!Itwasupsidedown!Whatadisasterheweptbrieflyforall
thosepoorpeople,fallingoffintospace..
HebarelynoticedwhentwocrewmembersremovedChandra'sunresistingform.When
theycamebackforCurnow,Floyd'sowneyeswereshut,buthewasstillbreathing.When
theyreturnedforhim,evenhisbreathinghadceased.

II
TSIEN

6
Awakening

Andtheytolduswewouldn'tdream,thoughtHeywoodFloyd,morewithsurprisethan
annoyance.Thegloriouspinkglowthatsurroundedhimwasverysoothingitreminded
himofbarbecuesandthecracklinglogsofChristmasfire.Buttherewasnowarmth
indeed,hefeltadistinctthoughnotuncomfortablecoldness.
Voicesweremurmuring,justtoosoftlyforhimtounderstandthewords.Theybecame
louderbutstillhecouldnotunderstand.
'Surely,'hesaidinsuddenamazement,'Ican'tbedreaminginRussian!'

'No,Heywood,'answeredawoman'svoice.'You'renotdreaming.It'stimetogetoutof
bed.'
Thelovelyglowfadedheopenedhiseyes,andhadablurredglimpseofaflashlight
beingwithdrawnfromhisface.Hewaslyingonacouch,heldagainstitbyelastic
webbingfigureswerestandingaroundhim,buttheyweretoooutoffocustoidentify.
Gentlefingersclosedhiseyelidsandmassagedhisforehead.
'Don'texertyourself.Breathedeeply...again...that'sright...nowhowdoyoufeel?'
'Idon'tknow...strange...lightheaded...andhungry.'
'That'sagoodsign.Doyouknowwhereyouare?Youcanopenyoureyesnow.'
ThefigurescameintofocusfirstDrRudenko,thenCaptainOrlova.Butsomethinghad
happenedtoTanyasincehehadseenher,onlyanhourago.WhenFloydidentifiedthe
cause,itwasalmostaphysicalshock.
'You'vegrownyourhairback!'
'Ihopeyouthinkit'sanimprovement.Ican'tsaythesameaboutyourbeard.'
Floydliftedhishandtohisface,findingthathehadtomakeaconsciousefforttoplan
everystageofthemovement.Hischinwascoveredwithshortstubbleatwoorthree
days'growth.Inhibernation,hairgrewatonlyahundredthofitsnormalrate.
'SoImadeit,'hesaid.'We'vearrivedatJupiter.'
Tanyalookedathimsombrely,thenglancedatthedoctor,whogaveabarely
perceptiblenod.
'No,Heywood,'shesaid.'We'restillamonthaway.Don'tbealarmedtheship'sfine,
andeverything'srunningnormally.ButyourfriendsinWashingtonhaveaskedustowake
youupaheadoftime.Somethingveryunexpectedhashappened.We'reinaraceto
reachDiscoveryandI'mafraidwe'regoingtolose.'

7
Tsien

WhenHeywoodFloyd'svoicecamefromthecomsetspeaker,thetwodolphins
suddenlystoppedcirclingaroundthepoolandswamovertoitsedge.Theyplacedtheir
headsontherimandstaredintentlyatthesourceofthesound.
SotheyrecognizeHeywood,thoughtCaroline,withatwingeofbitterness:Yet
Christopher,crawlingaroundhisplaypen,didnotevenstopplayingwiththecolour
controlsofhispicturebookashisfather'svoicecameloudandclearacrosshalfabillion
kilometresofspace.
'...Mydear,youwon'tbesurprisedtohearfromme,amonthaheadofscheduleyou'll
haveknownforweeksthatwehavecompanyouthere.
'Istillfindithardtobelieveinsomeways,itdoesn'tevenmakesense.Theycan't
possiblyhaveenoughfuelforasafereturntoEarthwedon'tevenseehowtheycan
maketherendezvous.
'Weneversawthem,ofcourse.Evenatitsclosest,Tsienwasmorethanfiftymillion
kilometresaway.Theyhadplentyoftimetoansweroursignalsiftheywantedto,butthey
ignoreduscompletely.Nowthey'llbemuchtoobusyforfriendlychat.Inafewhours
they'llhitJupiter'satmosphereandthenwe'llseehowwelltheiraerobrakingsystem
works.Ifitdoesitsjob,thatwillbegoodforourmorale.Butifitfails,well,let'snottalk
aboutthat.
'TheRussiansaretakingitremarkablywell,allthingsconsidered.They'reangryand
disappointed,ofcoursebutI'veheardmanyexpressionsoffrankadmiration.Itwas
certainlyabrillianttrick,buildingthatshipinfullviewandmakingeveryonethinkitwasa
spacestationuntiltheyhitchedonthoseboosters.
'Well,there'snothingwecando,exceptwatch.Andatourdistance,wewon'thavea
muchbetterviewthanyourbesttelescopes.Ican'thelpwishingthemluck,thoughof
courseIhopetheyleaveDiscoveryalone.That'sourproperty,andIbettheState
Department'sremindingthemofit,everyhouronthehour.
'It'sanillwindifourChinesefriendshadn'tjumpedthegunonus,youwouldn'thave
heardfrommeforanothermonth.ButnowthatDrRudenko'swokenmeup,I'llbe
speakingtoyoueverycoupleofdays.
'Aftertheinitialshock,I'msettlingdownnicelygettingtoknowtheshipanditscrew,
findingmyspacelegs.AndpolishingupmylousyRussian,thoughIdon'thavemuch
chanceofusingiteveryoneinsistsonspeakingEnglish.
WhatshockinglinguistsweAmericansare!Isometimesfeelashamedofour
chauvinism orourlaziness.
'ThestandardofonboardEnglishrangesfromabsolutelyperfectChiefEngineer
SashaKovalevcouldearnalivingasaBBCannouncerdowntotheifyoutalkfast

enoughitdoesn'tmatterhowmanymistakesyoumakevariety.Theonlyonewhoisn't
fluentisZeniaMarchenko,whoreplacedIrmaYakuninaatthelastmoment.Incidentally,
I'mgladtohearthatIrmamadeagoodrecoverywhatadisappointmentthatmusthave
been!Iwonderifshe'sstartedhangglidingagain.
'Andspeakingofaccidents,it'sobviousthatZeniamustalsohavehadaverybadone.
Thoughtheplasticsurgeonshavedonearemarkablejob,youcantellthatshemusthave
beenseverelyburnedatsometime.She'sthebabyofthecrewandtheotherstreather
withIwasgoingtosaypity,butthat'stoocondescending.Let'ssaywithspecial
kindness.
'Maybeyou'rewonderinghowIgetonwithCaptainTanya.Well,Ilikeherverymuch
butI'dhatetomakeherangry.There'snodoubtexactlywhorunsthisship.
'AndSurgeonCommanderRudenkoyoumetherattheHonoluluAerospace
Conventiontwoyearsago,andI'msureyouwon'thaveforgottenthatlastparty.You'll
understandwhyweallcallherCatherinetheGreatbehindherbroadback,ofcourse.
'Butthat'senoughgossip.IfIrunovertime,Ihatetothinkofthesurcharge.Andbythe
way,thesepersonalcallsaresupposedtobecompletelyprivate.Buttherearealotof
linksinthecommunicationschain,sodon'tbesurprisedifyouoccasionallygetmessages
bywell,anotherroute.
'I'llbewaitingtohearfromyoutellthegirlsI'llbespeakingtothemlater.Myloveto
youallImissyouandChrisverybadly.AndwhenIgetback,IpromiseI'llneverleave
again.'

Therewasabriefhissingpause,thenanobviouslysyntheticvoicesaid:'This
terminatesTransmissionFourHundredThirtytwoStrokeSevenfromSpacecraftLeonov.'
AsCarolineFloydswitchedoffthespeaker,thetwodolphinsslidbeneaththesurfaceof
thepoolandglidedoutintothePacific,leavingscarcelyarippleinthewater.
Whenherealizedthathisfriendsweregone,Christopherbegantocry.Hismother
pickedhimupinherarmsandtriedtocomforthim,butitwasalongtimebeforeshe
succeeded.

8
TransitofJupiter

TheimageofJupiter,withitsribbonsofwhitecloud,itsmottledbandsofsalmonpink,
andtheGreatRedSpotstaringoutlikeabalefuleye,hungsteadyontheflightdeck
projectionscreen.Itwasthreequartersfull,butnoonewaslookingattheilluminateddisk
alleyeswerefocusedonthecrescentofdarknessatitsedge.There,overthenightsideof
theplanet,theChineseshipwasabouttomeetitsmomentoftruth.
Thisisabsurd,thoughtFloyd.Wecan'tpossiblyseeanythingacrossfortymillion
kilometres.Anditdoesn'tmattertheradiowilltellusallwewanttoknow.
Tsienhadcloseddownallvoice,video,anddatacircuitstwohoursbefore,asthelong
rangeantennaswerewithdrawnintotheprotectiveshadowoftheheatshield.Onlythe
omnidirectionalbeaconwasstilltransmitting,accuratelypinpointingtheChineseship's
positionasitplungedtowardthatoceanofcontinentsizedclouds.Theshrillbeep...
beep...beep...wastheonlysoundinLeonov'scontrolroom.Eachofthosepulseshadleft
Jupitermorethantwominutesearlierbythistime,theirsourcemightalreadybeacloud
ofincandescentgas,dispersingintheJovianstratosphere.
Thesignalwasfading,becomingnoisy.Thebeepsweregettingdistortedseveral
droppedoutcompletely,thenthesequencereturned.Aplasmasheathwasbuildingup
aroundTsienandsoonwouldcutoffallcommunicationsuntiltheshipreemerged.Ifit
everdid.
'Posmotri!'criedMax.'Thereitis!'
AtfirstFloydcouldseenothing.Then,justofftheedgeoftheilluminateddisk,hemade
outatinystargleamingwherenostarcouldpossiblybe,againstthedarkenedfaceof
Jupiter.
Itappearedquitemotionless,thoughheknewitmustbemovingatahundred
kilometresasecond.Slowlyitgrewinbrillianceandthenitwasnolongera
dimensionlesspoint,butwasbecomingelongated.Amanmadecometwasstreaking
acrosstheJoviannightsky,leavingatrailofincandescencethousandsofkilometresin
length.
Onelastbadlydistortedandcuriouslydrawnoutbeepsoundedfromthetracking
beacon,thenonlythemeaninglesshissofJupiter'sownradiation,oneofthosemany
cosmicvoicesthathadnothingtodowithManorhisworks.
Tsienwasinaudible,butnotyetinvisible.Fortheycouldseethatthetinyelongated
sparkhadindeedmovedappreciablyawayfromthesunwardfaceoftheplanetandwould
soondisappearintothenightside.Bythen,ifallhadgoneaccordingtoplan,Jupiterwould
havecapturedtheship,destroyingitsunwantedvelocity.Whenitemergedfrombehind
thegiantworld,itwouldbeanotherJoviansatellite.
Thesparkflickeredout.Tsienhadroundedthecurveoftheplanetandwasheading
overthenightside.Therewouldbenothingtosee,ortohear,untilitemergedfrom

shadowifallwentwell,injustunderanhour.Itwouldbeaverylonghourforthe
Chinese.
ToChiefScientistVasiliOrlovandcommunicationsengineerSashaKovalev,thehour
wentextremelyquickly.Therewasmuchtheycouldlearnfromobservationsofthatlittle
staritstimesofappearanceanddisappearanceand,aboveall,theDopplershiftofthe
radiobeacongavevitalinformationaboutTsien'sneworbit.Leonov'scomputerswere
alreadydigestingthefigures,andspittingoutprojectedtimesofreemergencebasedon
variousassumptionsaboutratesofdecelerationintheJovianatmosphere.
Vasiliswitchedoffthecomputerdisplay,spunaroundinhischair,loosenedhisseat
belt,andaddressedthepatientlywaitingaudience.
'Earliestreappearanceisinfortytwominutes.Whydon'tyouspectatorsgoforawalk,
sowecanconcentrateongettingallthisintogoodshape?Seeyouinthirtyfiveminutes.
Shoo!Nuukhodi!'
Reluctantly,theunwantedbodiesleftthebridgebut,toVasili'sdisgust,everyonewas
backagaininlittlemorethanthirtyminutes.Hewasstillchidingthemfortheirlackoffaith
inhiscalculationswhenthefamiliarbeep...beep...beep...ofTsien'strackingbeacon
burstfromtheloudspeakers.
Vasililookedastonishedandmortified,butsoonjoinedinthespontaneousroundof
applauseFloydcouldnotseewhofirststartedtheclapping.Rivalsthoughtheymightbe,
theywereallastronautstogether,asfarfromhomeasanymenhadevertravelled
'AmbassadorsforMankind',inthenoblewordsofthefirstUNSpaceTreaty.Evenifthey
didnotwanttheChinesetosucceed,neitherdidtheywishthemtomeetdisaster.
Alargeelementofselfinterestwasalsoinvolved,Floydcouldnothelpthinking.Now
theoddsinLeonov'sownfavourweresignificantlyimprovedTsienhaddemonstratedthat
theaerobrakingmanoeuvrewasindeedpossible.ThedataonJupiterwascorrectits
atmospheredidnotcontainunexpectedandperhapsfatalsurprises.
'Well!'saidTanya.'Isupposeweshouldsendthemamessageofcongratulations.But
evenifwedid,theywouldn'tacknowledgeit.'
SomeofhiscolleagueswerestillmakingfunofVasili,whowasstaringathiscomputer
outputinfrankdisbelief.
'Idon'tunderstandit!'heexclaimed.'TheyshouldstillbebehindJupiter!Sashagive
meavelocityreadingontheirbeacon!'
AnothersilentdialoguewasheldwiththecomputerthenVasiligavealong,lowwhistle.

'Something'swrong.They'reinacaptureorbit,allrightbutitwon'tletthemmakea
rendezvouswithDiscovery.Theorbitthey'reonnowwilltakethemwaybeyondIoI'll
havemoreaccuratedatawhenwe'vetrackedthemforanotherfiveminutes.'
'Anyway,theymustbeinasafeorbit,'saidTanya.'Theycanalwaysmakecorrections
later.'
'Perhaps.Butthatcouldcostthemdays,eveniftheyhavethefuel.WhichIdoubt.'
'Sowemaystillbeatthem.'
'Don'tbesuchanoptimist.We'restillthreeweeksfromJupiter.Theycanmakeadozen
orbitsbeforewegetthere,andchoosethemostfavourableoneforarendezvous.'
'Againassumingthattheyhaveenoughpropellant.'
'Ofcourse.Andthat'ssomethingwecanonlymakeeducatedguessesabout.'
AllthisconversationtookplaceinsuchrapidandexcitedRussianthatFloydwasleftfar
behind.WhenTanyatookpityonhimandexplainedthatTsienhadovershotandwas
headingfortheoutersatellites,hisfirstreactionwas:'Thentheymaybeinserioustrouble.
Whatwillyoudoiftheyappealforhelp?'
'Youmustbemakingajoke.Canyouimaginethemdoingthat?They'remuchtoo
proud.Anyway,itwouldbeimpossible.Wecan'tchangeourmissionprofile,asyouknow
perfectlywell.Evenifwehadthefuel...'
'You'reright,ofcoursebutitmightbedifficulttoexplainthattotheninetyninepercent
ofthehumanracethatdoesn'tunderstandorbitalmechanics.Weshouldstartthinking
aboutsomeofthepoliticalcomplicationsitwouldlookbadforallofusifwecan'thelp.
Vasili,willyougivemetheirfinalorbit,assoonasyou'veworkeditout?I'mgoingdownto
mycabintodosomehomework.'
Floyd'scabin,orratheronethirdofacabin,wasstillpartlyfullofstores,manyofthem
stackedinthecurtainedbunksthatwouldbeoccupiedbyChandraandCurnowwhenthey
emergedfromtheirlongslumbers.Hehadmanagedtoclearasmallworkingspaceforhis
personaleffectsandhadbeenpromisedtheluxuryofanotherwholetwocubicmetres
justassoonassomeonecouldbesparedtohelpwiththefurnitureremoving.
Floydunlockedhislittlecommunicationsconsole,setthedecryptionkeys,andcalled
fortheinformationonTsienthathadbeentransmittedtohimfrom Washington.He
wonderedifhishostshadhadanyluckinunscramblingitthecipherwasbasedonthe
productoftwohundreddigitprimenumbers,andtheNationalSecurityAgencyhadstaked
itsreputationontheclaimthatthefastestcomputerinexistencecouldnotcrackitbefore
theBigCrunchattheendoftheUniverse.Itwasaclaimthatcouldneverbeprovedonly
disproved.

OnceagainhestaredintentlyattheexcellentphotographsoftheChineseship,taken
whenithadrevealeditstruecoloursandwasjustabouttoleaveEarthorbit.Therewere
latershotsnotsoclear,becausebythenithadbeenfarawayfromthepryingcameras
ofthefinalstageasithurtledtowardJupiter.Thoseweretheonesthatinterestedhim
mostevenmoreusefulwerethecutawaydrawingsandestimatesofperformance.
Grantedthemostoptimisticassumptions,itwasdifficulttoseewhattheChinesehoped
todo.Theymusthaveburnedupatleastninetypercentoftheirpropellantinthatmad
dashacrosstheSolarSystem.Unlessitwasliterallyasuicidemissionsomethingthat
couldnotberuledoutonlyaplaninvolvinghibernationandlaterrescuemadeany
sense.AndIntelligencedidnotbelievethatChinesehibernationtechnologywas
sufficientlyfaradvancedtomakethataviableoption.
ButIntelligencewasfrequentlywrong,andevenmoreoftenconfusedbytheavalanche
ofrawfactsithadtoevaluatethe'noise'initsinformationcircuits.Ithaddonea
remarkablejobonTsien,consideringtheshortnessoftime,butFloydwishedthatthe
materialsenttohimhadbeenmorecarefullyfiltered.Someofitwasobviousjunk,ofno
possibleconnectionwiththemission.
Nevertheless,whenyoudidnotknowwhatyouwerelookingfor,itwasimportantto
avoidallprejudicesandpreconceptionssomethingthatatfirstsightseemedirrelevant,or
evennonsensical,mightturnouttobeavitalclue.
Withasigh,Floydstartedoncemoretoskimthefivehundredpagesofdata,keeping
hismindasblanklyreceptiveaspossiblewhilediagrams,charts,photographssomeso
smudgythattheycouldrepresentalmostanythingnewsitems,listsofdelegatesto
scientificconferences,titlesoftechnicalpublications,andevencommercialdocuments
scrolledswiftlydownthehighresolutionscreen.Averyefficientindustrialespionage
systemhadobviouslybeenextremelybusywhowouldhavethoughtthatsomany
JapaneseholomemorymodulesorSwissgasflowmicrocontrollersorGermanradiation
detectorscouldhavebeentracedtoadestinationinthedriedlakebedofLopNorthe
firstmilepostontheirwaytoJupiter?
Someoftheitemsmusthavebeenincludedbyaccidenttheycouldnotpossiblyrelate
tothemission.IftheChinesehadplacedasecretorderforonethousandinfraredsensors
throughadummycorporationinSingapore,thatwasonlytheconcernofthemilitaryit
seemedhighlyunlikelythatTsienexpectedtobechasedbyheatseekingmissiles.And
thisonewasreallyfunnyspecializedsurveyingandprospectingequipmentfromGlacier
Geophysics,Inc.,ofAnchorage,Alaska.Whatlamebrainimaginedthatadeepspace
expeditionwouldhaveanyneedthesmilefrozeonFloyd'slipshefelttheskincrawlon
thebackofhisneck.MyGodtheywouldn'tdare!Buttheyhadalreadydaredgreatlyand
now,atlast,everythingmadesense.

HeflashedbacktothephotosandconjecturedplansoftheChineseship.Yes,itwas
justconceivablethoseflutingsattherear,alongsidethedrivedeflectionelectrodes,
wouldbeabouttherightsize.
Floydcalledthebridge.'Vasili.'hesaid,'haveyouworkedouttheirorbityet?'
'Yes,Ihave,'thenavigatorreplied,inacuriouslysubduedvoice.Floydcouldtellat
oncethatsomethinghadturnedup.Hetookalongshot.
'They'remakingarendezvouswithEuropa,aren'tthey?'
Therewasanexplosivegaspofdisbelieffromtheotherend.
'Chyortvoz'mi!Howdidyouknow?'
'Ididn'tI'vejustguessedit.'
'Therecan'tbeanymistakeI'vecheckedthefigurestosixplaces.Thebraking
manoeuvreworkedoutexactlyastheyintended.They'rerightoncourseforEuropait
couldn'thavehappenedbychance.They'llbethereinseventeenhours.'
'Andgointoorbit.'
'Perhapsitwouldn'ttakemuchpropellant.Butwhatwouldbethepoint?'
'I'llriskanotherguess.They'lldoaquicksurveyandthenthey'llland.'
'You'recrazyordoyouknowsomethingwedon't?'
'Noit'sjustamatterofsimplededuction.You'regoingtostartkickingyourselffor
missingtheobvious.'
'Okay,Sherlock,whyshouldanyonewanttolandonEuropa?What'sthere,for
heaven'ssake?'
Floydwasenjoyinghislittlemomentoftriumph.Ofcourse,hemightstillbecompletely
wrong.
'What'sonEuropa?OnlythemostvaluablesubstanceintheUniverse.'
HehadoverdoneitVasiliwasnofool,andsnatchedtheanswerfromhislips.
'Ofcoursewater!'
'Exactly.Billionsandbillionsoftonsofit.Enoughtofillupthepropellanttanksgo
cruisingaroundallthesatellites,andstillhaveplentyleftfortherendezvouswith

Discoveryandthevoyagehome.Ihatetosaythis,VasilibutourChinesefriendshave
outsmartedusagain.
'Alwaysassuming,ofcourse,thattheycangetawaywithit.'

9
TheIceoftheGrandCanal

Apartfromthejetblacksky,thephotomighthavebeentakenalmostanywhereinthe
polarregionsofEarththerewasnothingintheleastalienabouttheseaofwrinkledice
thatstretchedallthewayouttothehorizon.Onlythefivespacesuitedfiguresinthe
foregroundproclaimedthatthepanoramawasofanotherworld.
Evennow,thesecretiveChinesehadnotreleasedthenamesofthecrew.The
anonymousintrudersonthefrozenEuropanicescapeweremerelythechiefscientist,the
commander,thenavigator,thefirstengineer,thesecondengineer.Itwasalsoironic,
Floydcouldnothelpthinking,thateveryoneonEarthhadseenthealreadyhistoric
photographanhourbeforeitreachedLeonov,somuchclosertothescene.ButTsien's
transmissionswererelayedonsuchatightbeamthatitwasimpossibletointerceptthem
Leonovcouldreceiveonlyitsbeacon,broadcastingimpartiallyinalldirections.Eventhat
wasinaudiblemorethanhalfthetime,asEuropa'srotationcarrieditoutofsight,orthe
satelliteitselfwaseclipsedbythemonstrousbulkofJupiter.Allthescantynewsofthe
ChinesemissionhadtoberelayedfromEarth.
Theshiphadtoucheddown,afteritsinitialsurvey,ononeofthefewislandsofsolid
rockthatprotrudedthroughthecrustoficecoveringvirtuallytheentiremoon.Thaticewas
flatfrompoletopoletherewasnoweathertocarveitintostrangeshapes,nodrifting
snowtobuilduplayeruponlayerintoslowlymovinghills.Meteoritesmightfallupon
airlessEuropa,butneveraflakeofsnow.Theonlyforcesmouldingitssurfacewerethe
steadytugofgravity,reducingallelevationstooneuniformlevel,andtheincessant
quakescausedbytheothersatellitesastheypassedandrepassedEuropaintheirorbits.
Jupiteritself,despiteitsfargreatermass,hadmuchlesseffect.TheJoviantideshad
finishedtheirworkaeonsago,ensuringthatEuroparemainedlockedforeverwithone
faceturnedtowarditsgiantmaster.
AllthishadbeenknownsincetheVoyagerflybymissionsofthe1970s,theGalileo
surveysofthe1980s,andtheKeplerlandingsofthe1990s.But,inafewhours,the
ChinesehadlearnedmoreaboutEuropathanallthepreviousmissionscombined.That
knowledgetheywerekeepingtothemselvesonemightregretit,butfewwoulddenythat
theyhadearnedtherighttodoso.

Whatwasbeingdenied,withgreaterandgreaterasperity,wastheirrighttoannexthe
satellite.Forthefirsttimeinhistory,anationhadlaidclaimtoanotherworld,andallthe
newsmediaofEarthwerearguingoverthelegalposition.ThoughtheChinesepointed
out,attediouslength,thattheyhadneversignedthe'02UNSpaceTreatyandsowere
notboundbyitsprovisions,thatdidnothingtoquelltheangryprotests.
Suddenly,EuropawasthebiggestnewsintheSolarSystem.Andthemanonthespot
(atleasttothenearestfewmillionkilometres)wasingreatdemand.

'ThisisHeywoodFloyd,aboardCosmonautAlexeiLeonov,oncourseforJupiter.But
asyoucanwellimagine,allourthoughtsarenowfocuseduponEuropa.
'AtthisverymomentI'mlookingatitthroughthemostpowerfuloftheship'stelescopes
underthismagnification,it'stentimeslargerthantheMoonasyouseeitwiththenaked
eye.Andit'sareallyweirdsight.
'Thesurfaceisauniformpink,withafewsmallbrownpatches.It'scoveredwithan
intricatenetworkofnarrowlines,curlingandweavinginalldirections.Infact,itlooksvery
muchlikeaphotofromamedicaltextbook,showingapatternofveinsandarteries.
'Afewofthesefeaturesarehundredsoreventhousandsofkilometreslong,andlook
ratherliketheillusorycanalsthatPercivalLowellandotherearlytwentiethcentury
astronomersimaginedthey'dseenonMars.
'ButEuropa'scanalsaren'tanillusion,thoughofcoursethey'renotartificial.What's
more,theydocontainwateroratleastice.Forthesatelliteisalmostentirelycoveredby
ocean,averagingfiftykilometresdeep.
'Becauseit'ssofarfromthesun,Europa'ssurfacetemperatureisextremelylowabout
ahundredandfiftydegreesbelowfreezing.Soonemightexpectitssingleoceantobea
solidblockofice.
'Surprisingly,thatisn'tthecasebecausethere'salotofheatgeneratedinsideEuropa
bytidalforcesthesameforcesthatdrivethegreatvolcanoesonneighbouringIo.
'Sotheiceiscontinuallymelting,breakingup,andfreezing,formingcracksandlanes
likethoseinthefloatingicesheetsinourownpolarregions.It'sthatintricatetraceryof
cracksI'mseeingnowmostofthemaredarkandveryancientperhapsmillionsofyears
old.Butafewarealmostpurewhitethey'rethenewonesthathavejustopenedup,and
haveacrustonlyafewcentimetresthick.
'Tsienhaslandedrightbesideoneofthesewhitestreaksthefifteenhundredkilometre
longfeaturethat'sbeenchristenedtheGrandCanal.PresumablytheChineseintendto
pumpitswaterintotheirpropellanttanks,sothattheycanexploretheJoviansatellite

systemandthenreturntoEarth.Thatmaynotbeeasy,butthey'llcertainlyhavestudied
thelandingsitewithgreatcare,andmustknowwhatthey'redoing.
'It'sobvious,now,whythey'vetakensuchariskandwhytheyshouldclaimEuropa.
Asarefuellingpoint,itcouldbethekeytotheentireouterSolarSystem.Thoughthere's
alsowateronGanymede,it'sallfrozen,andalsolessaccessiblebecauseofthat
satellite'smorepowerfulgravity.
'Andthere'sanotherpointthat'sjustoccurredtome.EveniftheChinesedoget
strandedonEuropa,theymightbeabletosurviveuntilarescuemissionisarranged.
Theyhaveplentyofpower,theremaybeusefulmineralsintheareaandweknowthat
theChinesearetheexpertsonsyntheticfoodproduction.Itwouldn'tbeaveryluxurious
lifebutIhavesomefriendswhowouldacceptithappilyforthatstaggeringviewofJupiter
sprawledacrosstheskytheviewweexpecttoseeourselves,injustafewdays.
'ThisisHeywoodFloyd,sayinggoodbyeformycolleaguesandmyself,aboardAlexei
Leonov.'
'Andthisisthebridge.Verynicepresentation,Heywood.Youshouldhavebeena
newsman.'
'I'vehadplentyofpractice.HalfmytimewasspentonPRwork.'
'PR?'
'Publicrelationsusuallytellingpoliticianswhytheyshouldgivememoremoney.
Somethingyoudon'thavetobotherabout.'
'HowIwishthatwastrue.Anyway,comeuptothebridge.There'ssomenew
informationwe'dliketodiscusswithyou.'
Floydremovedhisbuttonmicrophone,lockedthetelescopeintopositionandextricated
himselffromthetinyviewingblister.Asheleft,healmostcollidedwithNikolaiTemovsky,
obviouslyonasimilarmission.
'I'mabouttostealyourbestquotesforRadioMoscow,Woody.Hopeyoudon'tmind.'
'You'rewelcome,tovarishch.Anyway,howcouldIstopyou?'
Uponthebridge,CaptainOrlovawaslookingthoughtfullyatadensemassofwords
andfiguresonthemaindisplay.Floydhadpainfullystartedtotransliteratethemwhenshe
interruptedhim.
'Don'tworryaboutthedetails.TheseareestimatesofthetimeitwilltakeforTsiento
refillitstanksandgetreadyforliftoff.'

'Mypeoplearedoingthesamecalculationsbuttherearefartoomanyvariables.'
'Wethinkwe'veremovedoneofthem.Didyouknowthattheverybestwaterpumps
youcanbuybelongtofirebrigades?AndwouldyoubesurprisedtolearnthattheBeijing
CentralStationhadfourofitslatestmodelssuddenlyrequisitionedafewmonthsago,
despitetheprotestsofthemayor?'
'I'mnotsurprisedmerelylostinadmiration.Goon,please.'
'Thatmaybeacoincidence,butthosepumpswouldbejusttherightsize.Making
educatedguessesaboutpipedeployment,drillingthroughtheiceandsoonwell,we
thinktheycouldliftoffagaininfivedays.'
'Fivedays!'
'Ifthey'relucky,andeverythingworksperfectly.Andiftheydon'twaittofilltheir
propellanttanksbutmerelytakeonjustenoughforasaferendezvouswithDiscovery
beforewedo.Eveniftheybeatusbyasinglehour,thatwouldbeenough.Theycould
claimsalvagerights,attheveryleast.'
'NotaccordingtotheStateDepartment'slawyers.Attheappropriatemoment,we'll
declarethatDiscoveryisnotaderelict,buthasmerelybeenparkeduntilwecanretrieve
it.Anyattempttotakeovertheshipwouldbeanactofpiracy.'
'I'msuretheChinesewillbemostimpressed.'
'Ifthey'renot,whatcanwedoaboutit?'
'Weoutnumberthem andtwotoone,whenwereviveChandraandCurnow.'
'Areyouserious?Wherearethecutlassesfortheboardingparty?'
'Cutlasses?'
'Swordsweapons.'
'Oh.Wecouldusethelasertelespectrometer.Thatcanvaporizemilligramasteroid
samplesatrangesofathousandkilometres.'
'I'mnotsurethatIlikethisconversation.Mygovernmentcertainlywouldnotcondone
violence,exceptofcourseinselfdefence.'
'YounaiveAmericans!We'remorerealisticwehavetobe.Allyourgrandparentsdied
ofoldage,Heywood.ThreeofminewerekilledintheGreatPatrioticWar.'

Whentheywerealonetogether,TanyaalwayscalledhimWoody,neverHeywood.She
mustbeserious.Orwasshemerelytestinghisreactions?
'Anyway,Discoveryismerelyafewbilliondollars'worthofhardware.Theship'snot
importantonlytheinformationitcarries.'
'Exactly.Informationthatcouldbecopied,andthenerased.'
'Youdogetsomecheerfulideas,Tanya.SometimesIthinkthatallRussiansarealittle
paranoiac.'
'ThankstoNapoleonandHitler,we'veearnedeveryrighttobe.Butdon'ttellmethat
youhaven'talreadyworkedoutthatwhatdoyoucallit,scenario?foryourself.'
'Itwasn'tnecessary,'Floydansweredratherglumly.'TheStateDepartment'salready
doneitformewithvariations.We'lljusthavetoseewhichonetheChinesecomeup
with.AndIwouldn'tbeintheleastsurprisediftheyoutguessusagain.'

10
ACryfromEuropa

SleepinginzerogravityisaskillthathastobelearnedithadtakenFloydalmosta
weektofindthebestwayofanchoringlegsandarmssothattheydidnotdriftinto
uncomfortablepositions.Nowhewasanexpert,andwasnotlookingforwardtothereturn
ofweightindeed,theveryideagavehimoccasionalnightmares.
Someonewasshakinghimawake.Nohemuststillbedreaming!Privacywassacred
aboardaspaceshipnobodyeverenteredanothercrewmember'schamberswithoutfirst
askingpermission.Heclenchedhiseyesshut,buttheshakingcontinued.
'DrFloydpleasewakeup!You'rewantedontheflightdeck!'
AndnobodycalledhimDrFloydthemostformalsalutationhehadreceivedforweeks
wasDoc.Whatwashappening?
Reluctantly,heopenedhiseyes.Hewasinhistinycabin,gentlygrippedbyhis
sleepingcocoon.SoonepartofhismindtoldhimthenwhywashelookingatEuropa?
Theywerestillmillionsofkilometresaway.

Therewerethefamiliarreticulations,thepatternsoftrianglesandpolygonsformedby
intersectinglines.AndsurelythatwastheGrandCanalitselfno,itwasn'tquiteright.
Howcoulditbe,sincehewasstillinhislittlecabinaboardLeonov?
'DrFloyd!'
Hebecamefullyawake,andrealizedthathislefthandwasfloatingjustafew
centimetresinfrontofhiseyes.Howstrangethatthepatternoflinesacrossthepalmwas
souncannilylikethemapofEuropa!ButeconomicalMotherNaturewasalwaysrepeating
herself,onsuchvastlydifferentscalesastheswirlofmilkstirredintocoffee,thecloud
lanesofacyclonicstorm,thearmsofaspiralnebula.
'Sorry,Max,'hesaid.'What'stheproblem?Issomethingwrong?'
'Wethinksobutnotwithus.Tsien'sintrouble.'
Captain,navigator,andchiefengineerwerestrappedintheirseatsontheflightdeck
therestofthecreworbitedanxiouslyaroundconvenienthandholds,orwatchedonthe
monitors.
'Sorrytowakeyouup,Heywood,'Tanyaapologizedbrusquely.'Here'sthesituation.
TenminutesagowehadaClassOnePriorityfromMissionControl.Tsien'sgoneoffthe
air.Ithappenedverysuddenly,inthemiddleofaciphermessagetherewereafew
secondsofgarbledtransmissionthennothing.'
'Theirbeacon?'
'That'sstoppedaswell.Wecan'treceiveiteither,'
'Phew!Thenitmustbeseriousamajorbreakdown.Anytheories?'
'Lotsbutallguesswork.Anexplosionlandslideearthquake:whoknows?'
'AndwemayneverknowuntilsomeoneelselandsonEuropaorwedoacloseflyby
andtakealook.'
Tanyashookherhead.'Wedon'thaveenoughdeltavee.Theclosestwecouldgetis
fiftythousandkilometres.Notmuchyoucouldseefromthatdistance.'
'Thenthere'sabsolutelynothingwecando.'
'Notquite,Heywood.MissionControlhasasuggestion.They'dlikeustoswingourbig
disharound,justincasewecanpickupanyweakemergencytransmissions.It'showdo
yousay?alongshot,butworthtrying.Whatdoyouthink?'
Floyd'sfirstreactionwasstronglynegative.

'ThatwillmeanbreakingourlinkwithEarth.'
'Ofcoursebutwe'llhavetodothatanyway,whenwegoaroundJupiter.Anditwillonly
takeacoupleofminutestoreestablishthecircuit.'
Floydremainedsilent.Thesuggestionwasperfectlyreasonable,yetitworriedhim
obscurely.Afterpuzzlingforseveralseconds,hesuddenlyrealizedwhyhewasso
opposedtotheidea.
Discovery'stroubleshadstartedwhenthebigdishthemainantennacomplexhad
lostitslockonEarth,forreasonswhichevennowwerenotcompletelyclear.ButHalhad
certainlybeeninvolved,andtherewasnodangerofasimilarsituationarisinghere.
Leonov'scomputersweresmall,autonomousunitstherewasnosinglecontrolling
intelligence.Atleast,nononhumanone.
TheRussianswerestillwaitingpatientlyforhisanswer.
'Iagree,'hesaidatlast.'LetEarthknowwhatwe'redoing,andstartlistening.Isuppose
you'lltryalltheSPACEMAYDAYfrequencies.'
'Yes,assoonaswe'veworkedouttheDopplercorrections.How'sitgoing,Sasha?'
'Givemeanothertwominutes,andI'llhavetheautomaticsearchrunning.Howlong
shouldwelisten?'
Thecaptainbarelypausedbeforegivingheranswer.FloydhadoftenadmiredTanya
Orlova'sdecisiveness,andhadoncetoldherso.Inarareflashofhumour,shehad
replied:'Woody,acommandercanbewrong,butneveruncertain.'
'Listenforfiftyminutes,andreportbacktoEarthforten.Thenrepeatthecycle.'
Therewasnothingtoseeorheartheautomaticcircuitswerebetteratsiftingtheradio
noisethananyhumansenses.Nevertheless,fromtimetotimeSashaturneduptheaudio
monitor,andtheroarofJupiter'sradiationbeltsfilledthecabin.Itwasasoundlikethe
wavesbreakingonallthebeachesofEarth,withoccasionalexplosivecracksfrom
superboltsoflightningintheJovianatmosphere.Ofhumansignals,therewasnotrace
and,onebyone,themembersofthecrewnotondutydriftedquietlyaway.
Whilehewaswaiting,Floyddidsomementalcalculations.Whateverhadhappenedto
Tsienwasalreadytwohoursinthepast,sincethenewshadbeenrelayedfromEarth.
ButLeonovshouldbeabletopickupadirectmessageafterlessthanaminute'sdelay,
sotheChinesehadalreadyhadampletimetogetbackontheair.Theircontinuedsilence
suggestedsomecatastrophicfailure,andhefoundhimselfweavingendlessscenariosof
disaster.

Thefiftyminutesseemedlikehours.Whentheywereup,Sashaswungtheship's
antennacomplexbacktowardEarth,andreportedfailure.Whilehewasusingtherestof
thetenminutestosendabacklogofmessages,helookedinquiringlyatthecaptain.
'Isitworthtryingagain?'hesaidinavoicethatclearlyexpressedhisownpessimism.
'Ofcourse.Wemaycutbackthesearchtimebutwe'llkeeplistening.'
Onthehour,thebigdishwasoncemorefocuseduponEuropa.Andalmostatonce,the
automaticmonitorstartedflashingitsALERTlight.
Sasha'shanddartedtotheaudiogain,andthevoiceofJupiterfilledthecabin.
Superimposeduponthat,likeawhisperheardagainstathunderstorm,wasthefaintbut
completelyunmistakablesoundofhumanspeech.Itwasimpossibletoidentifythe
language,thoughFloydfeltcertain,fromtheintonationandrhythm,thatitwasnot
Chinese,butsomeEuropeantongue.
Sashaplayedskilfullywithfinetuningandbandwidthcontrols,andthewordsbecame
clearer.ThelanguagewasundoubtedlyEnglishbutitscontentwasstillmaddeningly
unintelligible.
Thereisonecombinationofsoundsthateveryhumanearcandetectinstantly,evenin
thenoisiestenvironment.WhenitsuddenlyemergedfromtheJovianbackground,it
seemedtoFloydthathecouldnotpossiblybeawake,butwastrappedinsomefantastic
dream.Hiscolleaguestookalittlelongertoreactthentheystaredathimwithequal
amazementandaslowlydawningsuspicion.
ForthefirstrecognizablewordsfromEuropawere:'DrFloydDrFloydIhopeyou
canhearme.'

11
IceandVacuum

'Whoisit?'whisperedsomeone,toachorusofshushes.Floydraisedhishandsina
gestureofignoranceand,hehoped,innocence.
'...knowyouareaboardLeonov...maynothavemuchtime...aimingmysuitantenna
whereIthink...'Thesignalvanishedforagonizingseconds,thencamebackmuchclearer,
thoughnotappreciablylouder.

'...relaythisinformationtoEarth.Tsiendestroyedthreehoursago.I'monlysurvivor.
Usingmysuitradionoideaifithasenoughrange,butit'stheonlychance.Pleaselisten
carefully.THEREISLIFEONEUROPA.Irepeat:THEREISLIFEONEUROPA.'
Thesignalfadedagain.Astunnedsilencefollowedthatnooneattemptedtointerrupt.
Whilehewaswaiting,Floydsearchedhismemoryfuriously.Hecouldriotrecognizethe
voiceitmighthavebeenthatofanyWesterneducatedChinese.Probablyitwas
someonehehadmetatascientificconference,butunlessthespeakeridentifiedhimself
hewouldneverknow.
'...soonafterlocalmidnight.Wewerepumpingsteadilyandthetankswerealmosthalf
full.DrLeeandIwentouttocheckthepipeinsulation.Tsienstandsstoodaboutthirty
metresfromtheedgeoftheGrandCanal.Pipesgodirectlyfromitanddownthroughthe
ice.Verythinnotsafetowalkon.Thewarmupwelling...'
Againalongsilence.Floydwonderedifthespeakerwasmoving,andhadbeen
momentarilycutoffbysomeobstruction.
'...noproblem fivekilowattsoflightingstrungupontheship.LikeaChristmastree
beautiful,shiningrightthroughtheice.Gloriouscolours.Leesawitfirstahugedark
massrisingupfromthedepths.Atfirstwethoughtitwasaschooloffishtoolargefora
singleorganism thenitstartedtobreakthroughtheice.
'DrFloyd,Ihopeyoucanhearme.ThisisProfessorChangwemetin'02Boston
IAUconference.'
Instantly,incongruously,Floyd'sthoughtswereabillionkilometresaway.Hevaguely
rememberedthatreception,aftertheclosingsessionoftheInternationalAstronomical
UnionCongressthelastonethattheChinesehadattendedbeforetheSecondCultural
Revolution.AndnowherecalledChangverydistinctlyasmall,humorousastronomer
andexobiologistwithagoodfundofjokes.Hewasn'tjokingnow.
'...likehugestrandsofwetseaweed,crawlingalongtheground.Leeranbacktothe
shiptogetacameraIstayedtowatch,reportingovertheradio.Thethingmovedso
slowlyIcouldeasilyoutrunit.Iwasmuchmoreexcitedthanalarmed.ThoughtIknew
whatkindofcreatureitwasI'veseenpicturesofthekelpforestsoffCaliforniabutIwas
quitewrong.
'Icouldtellitwasintrouble.Itcouldn'tpossiblysurviveatatemperatureahundredand
fiftybelowitsnormalenvironment.Itwasfreezingsolidasitmovedforwardbitswere
breakingofflikeglassbutitwasstilladvancingtowardtheship,ablacktidalwave,
slowingdownallthetime.
'IwasstillsosurprisedthatIcouldn'tthinkstraightandIcouldn'timaginewhatitwas
tryingtodo...'

'Isthereanywaywecancallhimback?'Floydwhisperedurgently.
'Noit'stoolate.EuropawillsoonbebehindJupiter.We'llhavetowaituntilitcomes
outofeclipse.'
'...climbinguptheship,buildingakindoficetunnelasitadvanced.Perhapsthiswas
insulatingitfromthecoldthewaytermitesprotectthemselvesfromthesunlightwiththeir
littlecorridorsofmud.
'...tonsoficeontheship.Theradioantennasbrokeofffirst.ThenIcouldseethe
landinglegsbeginningtobuckleallinslowmotion,likeadream.
'NotuntiltheshipstartedtotoppledidIrealizewhatthethingwastryingtodoand
thenitwastoolate.Wecouldhavesavedourselvesifwe'donlyswitchedoffthoselights.
'Perhapsit'saphototrope,itsbiologicalcycletriggeredbythesunlightthatfilters
throughtheicc,Oritcouldhavebeenattractedlikeamothtoacandle.Ourfloodlights
musthavebeenmorebrilliantthananythingthatEuropahaseverknown.
'Thentheshipcrashed.Isawthehullsplit,acloudofsnowflakesformasmoisture
condensed.Allthelightswentout,exceptforone,swingingbackandforthonacablea
coupleofmetresabovetheground.
'Idon'tknowwhathappenedimmediatelyafterthat.ThenextthingIremember,Iwas
standingunderthelight,besidethewreckoftheship,withafinepowderingoffreshsnow
allaroundme.Icouldseemyfootstepsinitveryclearly.Imusthaverunthereperhaps
onlyaminuteortwohadelapsed.
'TheplantIstillthoughtofitasaplantwasmotionless.Iwonderedifithadbeen
damagedbytheimpactlargesectionsasthickasaman'sarm hadsplinteredoff,like
brokentwigs.
'Thenthemaintrunkstartedtomoveagain.Itpulledawayfromthehull,andbeganto
crawltowardme.ThatwaswhenIknewforcertainthatthethingwaslightsensitive:Iwas
standingimmediatelyunderthethousandwattlamp,whichhadstoppedswingingnow.
'Imagineanoaktreebetterstill,abanyanwithitsmultipletrunksandrootsflattened
outbygravityandtryingtocreepalongtheground.Itgottowithinfivemetresofthelight,
thenstartedtospreadoutuntilithadmadeaperfectcirclearoundme.Presumablythat
wasthelimitofitstolerancethepointatwhichphotoattractionturnedtorepulsion.After
that,nothinghappenedforseveralminutes.Iwonderedifitwasdeadfrozensolidatlast.
'ThenIsawthatlargebudswereformingonmanyofthebranches.Itwaslikewatching
atimelapsefilmofflowersopening.InfactIthoughttheywereflowerseachaboutasbig
asaman'shead.

'Delicate,beautifullycolouredmembranesstartedtounfold.Eventhen,itoccurredto
methatnoonenothingcouldeverhaveseenthesecoloursbeforetheyhadno
existenceuntilwebroughtourlightsourfatallightstothisworld.
'Tendrils,stamens,wavingfeebly...Iwalkedovertothelivingwallthatsurroundedme,
sothatIcouldseeexactlywhatwashappening.Neitherthen,noratanyothertime,hadI
felttheslightestfearofthecreature.Iwascertainthatitwasnotmalevolentifindeedit
wasconsciousatall.
'Therewerescoresofthebigflowers,invariousstagesofunfolding.Nowthey
remindedmeofbutterflies,justemergingfromthechrysaliswingscrumpled,stillfeeble
Iwasgettingcloserandclosertothetruth.
'Buttheywerefreezingdyingasquicklyastheyformed.Then,oneafteranother,they
droppedofffromtheparentbuds.Forafewmomentstheyfloppedaroundlikefish
strandedondrylandatlastIrealizedexactlywhattheywere.Thosemembranesweren't
petalstheywerefins,ortheirequivalent.Thiswasthefreeswimming,larvalstageofthe
creature.Probablyitspendsmuchofitsliferootedontheseabed,thensendsthese
mobileoffspringinsearchofnewterritory.JustlikethecoralsofEarth'soceans.
'Ikneltdowntogetacloserlookatoneofthelittlecreatures.Thebeautifulcolourswere
fadingnowtoadrabbrown.Someofthepetalfinshadsnappedoff,becomingbrittle
shardsastheyfroze.Butitwasstillmovingfeebly,andasIapproachedittriedtoavoid
me.Iwonderedhowitsensedmypresence.
'ThenInoticedthatthestamensasI'dcalledthem allcarriedbrightbluedotsattheir
tips.Theylookedliketinystarsapphiresortheblueeyesalongthemantleofascallop
awareoflight,butunabletoformtrueimages.AsIwatched,thevividbluefaded,the
sapphiresbecamedull,ordinarystones.
'DrFloydoranyoneelse,whoislisteningIhaven'tmuchmoretimeJupiterwillsoon
blockmysignal.ButI'vealmostfinished.
'IknewthenwhatIhadtodo.Thecabletothatthousandwattlampwashangingalmost
totheground.Igaveitafewtugs,andthelightwentoutinashowerofsparks.
'Iwonderedifitwastoolate.Forafewminutes,nothinghappened.SoIwalkedoverto
thewalloftangledbranchesaroundme,andkickedit.
'Slowly,thecreaturestartedtounweaveitself,andtoretreatbacktotheCanal.There
wasplentyoflightIcouldseeeverythingperfectly.GanymedeandCallistowereinthe
skyJupiterwasahuge,thincrescentandtherewasabigauroraldisplayonthe
nightside,attheJovianendoftheIofluxtube.Therewasnoneedtousemyhelmetlight.
'Ifollowedthecreatureallthewaybacktothewater,encouragingitwithmorekicks
whenitsloweddown,feelingthefragmentsoficecrunchingallthetimebeneathmy

boots...asitnearedtheCanal,itseemedtogainstrengthandenergy,asifitknewthatit
wasapproachingitsnaturalhome.Iwonderedifitwouldsurvive,tobudagain.
'Itdisappearedthroughthesurface,leavingafewlastdeadlarvaeonthealienland.
Theexposedfreewaterbubbledforafewminutesuntilascabofprotectiveicesealedit
fromthevacuumabove.ThenIwalkedbacktotheshiptoseeiftherewasanythingto
salvageIdon'twanttotalkaboutthat.
'I'veonlytworequeststomake,Doctor.Whenthetaxonomistsclassifythiscreature,I
hopethey'llnameitafterme.
'AndwhenthenextshipcomeshomeaskthemtotakeourbonesbacktoChina.
'Jupiterwillbecuttingusoffinafewminutes.IwishIknewwhetheranyonewas
receivingme.Anyway,I'llrepeatthismessagewhenwe'reinlineofsightagainifmy
suit'slifesupportsystemlaststhatlong.
'ThisisProfessorChangonEuropa,reportingthedestructionofspaceshipTsien.We
landedbesidetheGrandCanalandsetupourpumpsattheedgeoftheice,
Thesignalfadedabruptly,camebackforamoment,thendisappearedcompletely
be1owthenoiselevel.AlthoughLeonovlistenedagainonthesamefrequency,therewas
nofurthermessagefromProfessorChang.

III
DISCOVERY

12
DownhillRun

Theshipwasgainingspeedatlast,onthedownhillruntowardJupiter.Ithadlongsince
passedthegravitationalnoman'slandwherethefourtinyoutermoonsSinope,
Pasiphae,Ananke,andCarmewobbledalongtheirretrogradeandwildlyeccentric
orbits.Undoubtedlycapturedasteroids,andcompletelyirregularinshape,thelargestwas
onlythirtykilometresacross.Jagged,splinteredrocksofnointeresttoanyoneexcept
planetarygeologists,theirallegiancewaveredcontinuallybetweentheSunandJupiter.
Oneday,theSunwouldrecapturethemcompletely.

ButJupitermightretainthesecondgroupoffour,athalfthedistanceoftheothers.
Elara,Lysithea,Himalia,andLedawerefairlyclosetogether,andlyinginalmostthesame
plane.Therewasspeculationthattheyhadoncebeenpartofasinglebodyifso,the
parentwouldhavebeenbarelyahundredkilometresacross.
ThoughonlyCarmeandLedacamecloseenoughtoshowdisksvisibletothenaked
eye,theyweregreetedlikeoldfriends.Herewasthefirstlandfallafterthelongestocean
voyagetheoffshoreislandsofJupiter.Thelasthoursweretickingawaythemostcritical
phaseoftheentiremissionwasapproachingtheentryintotheJovianatmosphere.
JupiterwasalreadylargerthantheMoonintheskiesofEarth,andthegiantinner
satellitescouldbeclearlyseenmovingaroundit.Theyallshowednoticeabledisksand
distinctivecolouring,thoughtheywerestilltoofarawayforanymarkingstobevisible.The
eternalballettheyperformeddisappearingbehindJupiter,reappearingtotransitthe
daylightfacewiththeiraccompanyingshadowswasanendlesslyengagingspectacle.It
wasonethatastronomershadwatchedeversinceGalileohadfirstglimpseditalmost
exactlyfourcenturiesagobutthecrewofLeonovweretheonlylivingmenandwomento
haveseenitwithunaidedeyes.
Theinterminablechessgameshadceasedoffdutyhourswerespentatthe
telescopes,orinearnestconversation,orlisteningtomusic,usuallywhilegazingatthe
viewoutside.Andatleastoneshipboardromancehadreachedaculmination:the
frequentdisappearancesofMaxBrailovskyandZeniaMarchenkowerethesubjectof
muchgoodnaturedbanter.
Theywere,thoughtFloyd,anoddlymatchedpair.Maxwasabig,handsomeblondwho
hadbeenachampiongymnast,reachingthefinalsofthe2000Olympics.Thoughhewas
inhisearlythirties,hehadanopenfaced,almostboyishexpression.Thiswasnot
altogethermisleadingdespitehisbrilliantengineeringrecord,heoftenstruckFloydas
naiveandunsophisticatedoneofthosepeoplewhoarepleasanttotalkto,butnotfortoo
long.Outsidehisownfieldofundoubtedexpertisehewasengagingbutrathershallow.
Zeniaattwentynine,theyoungestonboardwasstillsomethingofamystery.Since
noonewishedtotalkaboutit,Floydhadneverraisedthesubjectofherinjuries,andhis
Washingtonsourcescouldprovidenoinformation.Obviouslyshehadbeeninvolvedin
someseriousaccident,butitmighthavebeennothingmoreunusualthanacarcrash.The
theorythatshehadbeenonasecretspacemissionstillpartofpopularmythology
outsidetheUSSRcouldberuledout.Thankstotheglobaltrackingnetworks,nosuch
thinghadbeenpossibleforfiftyyears.
Inadditiontoherphysicalanddoubtlesspsychologicalscars,Zenialabouredunderyet
anotherhandicap.Shewasalastminutereplacement,andeveryoneknewit.Irma
YakuninawastohavebeendieticianandmedicalassistantaboardLeonovbeforethat
unfortunateargumentwithahanggliderbroketoomanybones.

Everydayat1800GMTthecrewofsevenplusonepassengergatheredinthetiny
commonroomthatseparatedtheflightdeckfromthegalleyandsleepingquarters.The
circulartableatitscentrewasjustbigenoughforeightpeopletosqueezearoundwhen
ChandraandCurnowwererevived,itwouldbeunabletoaccommodateeveryone,and
twoextraseatswouldhavetobefittedinsomewhereelse.
Thoughthe'SixO'ClockSoviet',asthedailyroundtableconferencewascalled,seldom
lastedmorethantenminutes,itplayedavitalroleinmaintainingmorale.Complaints,
suggestions,criticisms,progressreportsanythingcouldberaised,subjectonlytothe
captain'soverridingveto,whichwasveryseldomexercised.
Typicalitemsonthenonexistentagendawererequestsforchangesinthemenu,
appealsformoreprivatecommunicationtimewithEarth,suggestedmovieprogrammes,
exchangeofnewsandgossip,andgoodnaturedneedlingoftheheavilyoutnumbered
Americancontingent.Thingswouldchange,Floydwarnedthem,whenhiscolleagues
cameoutofhibernation,andtheoddsimprovedfromIin7to3in9.Hedidnotmention
hisprivatebeliefthatCurnowcouldouttalkoroutshoutanythreeotherpeopleaboard.
Whenhewasnotsleeping,muchofFloyd'sowntimewasspentinthecommonroom
partlybecause,despiteitssmallness,itwasmuchlessclaustrophobicthanhisowntiny
cubicle.Itwasalsocheerfullydecorated,allavailableflatsurfacesbeingcoveredwith
photosofbeautifullandandseascapes,sportingevents,portraitsofpopularvideostars,
andotherremindersofEarth.Prideofplace,however,wasgiventoanoriginalLeonov
paintinghis1965study'BeyondtheMoon',madeinthesameyearwhen,asayoung
lieutenantcolonel,heleftVoskhodIIandbecamethefirstmaninhistorytoperforman
extravehicularexcursions
Clearlytheworkofatalentedamateur,ratherthanaprofessional,itshowedthe
craterededgeoftheMoonwiththebeautifulSinuslridum BayofRainbowsinthe
foreground.LoomingmonstrouslyabovethelunarhorizonwasthethincrescentofEarth,
embracingthedarkenednightsideoftheplanet.BeyondthatblazedtheSun,the
streamersofthecoronareachingoutintospaceformillionsofkilometresaroundit.
Itwasastrikingcompositionandaglimpseofthefuturethateventhenlayonlythree
yearsahead.OntheflightofApollo8,Anders,BormanandLovellweretoseethis
splendidsightwiththeirunaidedeyes,astheywatchedEarthriseabovethefarsideon
ChristmasDay,1968.
HeywoodFloydadmiredthepainting,buthealsoregardeditwithmixedfeelings.He
couldnotforgetthatitwasolderthaneverybodyelseontheshipwithoneexception.
HewasalreadynineyearsoldwhenAlexeiLeonovhadpaintedit.

13

TheWorldsofGalileo

Evennow,morethanthreedecadesaftertherevelationsofthefirstVoyagerflybys,no
onereallyunderstoodwhythefourgiantsatellitesdifferedsowildlyfromoneanother.
Theywereallaboutthesamesize,andinthesamepartoftheSolarSystem yetthey
weretotallydissimilar,asifchildrenofadifferentbirth.
OnlyCallisto,theoutermost,hadturnedouttobemuchasexpected.WhenLeonov
racedpastatadistanceofjustover100,000kilometres,thelargerofitscountlesscraters
wereclearlyvisibletothenakedeye.Throughthetelescope,thesatellitelookedlikea
glassballthathadbeenusedasatargetbyhighpoweredriflesitwascompletely
coveredwithcratersofeverysize,rightdowntothelowerlimitofvisibility.Callisto,
someonehadonceremarked,lookedmorelikeEarth'sMoonthandidtheMoonitself.
Norwasthisparticularlysurprising.Onewouldhaveexpectedaworldouthereatthe
edgeoftheasteroidbelttohavebeenbombardedwiththedebrisleftoverfromthe
creationoftheSolarSystem.YetGanymede,thesatellitenextdoor,hadatotallydifferent
appearance.Thoughithadbeenwellpepperedwithimpactcratersintheremotepast,
mostofthemhadbeenploughedoveraphrasethatseemedpeculiarlyappropriate.
HugeareasofGanymedewerecoveredwithridgesandfurrows,asifsomecosmic
gardenerhaddraggedagiantrakeacrossthem.Andtherewerelightcolouredstreaks,
liketrailsthatmighthavebeenmadebyslugsfiftykilometresacross.Mostmysteriousof
allwerelong,meanderingbands,containingdozensofparallellines.ItwasNikolai
Ternovskywhodecidedwhattheymustbemultilanesuperhighways,laidoutbydrunken
surveyors.Heevenclaimedtohavedetectedoverpassesandcloverleafintersections.
LeonovhadaddedsometrillionsofbitsofinformationaboutGanymedetothestoreof
humanknowledge,beforeitcrossedtheorbitofEuropa.Thaticeboundworld,withits
derelictanditsdead,wasontheothersideofJupiter,butitwasneverfarfromanyone's
thoughts.
BackonEarth,DrChangwasalreadyaheroandhiscountrymenhad,withobvious
embarrassment,acknowledgedcountlessmessagesofsympathy.Onehadbeensentin
thenameofLeonov'screwafter,Floydgathered,considerableredraftinginMoscow.
Thefeelingonboardtheshipwasambiguousamixtureofadmiration,regret,andrelief.
Allastronauts,irrespectiveoftheirnationalorigins,regardedthemselvesascitizensof
spaceandfeltacommonbond,sharingeachother'striumphsandtragedies.Nooneon
LeonovwashappybecausetheChineseexpeditionhadmetwithdisasteryetatthesame
time,therewasamutedsenseofreliefthattheracehadnotgonetotheswiftest.
TheunexpecteddiscoveryoflifeonEuropahadaddedanewelementtothesituation
onethatwasnowbeingarguedatgreatlengthbothonEarthandaboardLeonov.Some
exobiologistscried'Itoldyouso!',pointingoutthatitshouldnothavebeensuchasurprise

afterall.Asfarbackasthe1970s,researchsubmarineshadfoundteemingcoloniesof
strangemarinecreaturesthrivingprecariouslyinanenvironmentthoughttobeequally
hostiletolifethetrenchesonthebedofthePacific.Volcanicsprings,fertilizingand
warmingtheabyss,hadcreatedoasesoflifeinthedesertsofthedeep.
AnythingthathadhappenedonceonEarthshouldbeexpectedmillionsoftimes
elsewhereintheUniversethatwasalmostanarticleoffaithamongscientists.Wateror
atleasticeoccurredonallthemoonsofJupiter.Andtherewerecontinuouslyerupting
volcanoesonIosoitwasreasonabletoexpectweakeractivityontheworldnextdoor.
PuttingthesetwofactstogethermadeEuropanlifeseemnotonlypossible,butinevitable
asmostofnature'ssurprisesare,whenviewedwith20/20hindsight.
Yetthatconclusionraisedanotherquestion,andonevitaltoLeonov'smission.Now
thatlifehadbeendiscoveredonthemoonsofJupiterdidithaveanyconnectionwiththe
Tychomonolith,andthestillmoremysteriousartifactinorbitnearIo?
ThatwasafavouritesubjecttodebateintheSixO'ClockSoviets.Itwasgenerally
agreedthatthecreatureencounteredbyDrChangdidnotrepresentahighformof
intelligenceatleast,ifhisinterpretationofitsbehaviourwascorrect.Noanimalwitheven
elementarypowersofreasoningwouldhavealloweditselftobecomeavictimofits
instincts,attractedlikeamothtothecandleuntilitriskeddestruction.
VasiliOrlovwasquicktogiveacounterexamplethatweakened,ifitdidnotrefute,that
argument.
'Lookatwhalesanddolphins,'hesaid.'Wecallthemintelligentbuthowoftentheykill
themselvesinmassstrandings!Thatlookslikeacasewhereinstinctoverpowersreason.'
'Noneedtogotothedolphins,'interjectedMaxBrailovsky.'Oneofthebrightest
engineersinmyclasswasfatallyattractedtoablondeinKiev.WhenIheardofhimlast,
hewasworkinginagarage.Andhe'dwonagoldmedalfordesigningspacestations.
Whatawaste!'
EvenifDrChang'sEuropanwasintelligent,thatofcoursedidnotruleouthigherforms
elsewhere.Thebiologyofawholeworldcouldnotbejudgedfromasinglespecimen.
Butithadbeenwidelyarguedthatadvancedintelligencecouldneverariseinthesea
therewerenotenoughchallengesinsobenignandunvaryinganenvironment.Aboveall,
howcouldmarinecreatureseverdevelopatechnologywithouttheaidoffire?
Yetperhapseventhatwaspossibletheroutethathumanityhadtakenwasnottheonly
one.Theremightbewholecivilizationsintheseasofotherworlds.
Still,itseemedunlikelythataspacefaringculturecouldhavearisenonEuropawithout
leavingunmistakablesignsofitsexistenceintheformofbuildings,scientificinstallations,

launchingsites,orotherartifacts.Butfrompoletopole,nothingcouldbeseenbutlevel
iceandafewoutcroppingsofbarerock.
NotimeremainedforspeculationsanddiscussionswhenLeonovhurtledpasttheorbits
ofIoandtinyMimas.Thecrewwasbusyalmostnonstop,preparingfortheencounter
andthebriefonsetofweightaftermonthsinfreefall.Alllooseobjectshadtobesecured
beforetheshipenteredJupiter'satmosphere,andthedragofdecelerationproduced
momentarypeaksthatmightbeashighastwogravities.
Floydwasluckyhealonehadtimetoadmirethesuperbspectacleoftheapproaching
planet,nowfillingalmosthalfthesky.Becausetherewasnothingtogiveitscale,there
wasnowaythatthemindcouldgraspitsrealsize.Hehadtokeeptellinghimselfthatfifty
Earthswouldnotcoverthehemispherenowturnedtowardhim.
Theclouds,colourfulasthemostgarishsunsetonEarth,racedsoswiftlythathecould
seeappreciablemovementinaslittleastenminutes.Greateddieswerecontinually
formingalongthedozenorsobandsthatgirdledtheplanet,thenripplingawaylikeswirls
ofsmoke.Plumesofwhitegasoccasionallygeyseredupfromthedepths,tobeswept
awaybythegalescausedbytheplanet'stremendousspin.Andperhapsstrangestofall
werethewhitespots,sometimesspacedasregularlyaspearlsonanecklace,whichlay
alongthetradewindsofthemiddleJovianlatitudes.
Inthehoursimmediatelybeforeencounter,Floydsawlittleofcaptainornavigator.The
Orlovsscarcelyleftthebridge,astheycontinuallycheckedtheapproachorbitandmade
minuterefinementstoLeonov'scourse.Theshipwasnowonthecriticalpaththatwould
justgrazetheouteratmosphereifitwenttoohigh,frictionalbrakingwouldnotbe
sufficienttoslowitdown,anditwouldgoracingoutoftheSolarSystem,beyondall
possibilityofrescue.Ifitwenttoolow,itwouldburnuplikeameteor.Betweenthetwo
extremeslaylittlemarginforerror.
TheChinesehadprovedthataerobrakingcouldbedone,buttherewasalwaysthe
chancethatsomethingwouldgowrong:SoFloydwasnotatallsurprisedwhenSurgeon
CommanderRudenkoadmitted,justanhourbeforecontact:'I'mbeginningtowish,
Woody,thatIhadbroughtalongthaticon,afterall.'

14
DoubleEncounter

'...papersforthemortgageontheNantuckethouseshouldbeinthefilemarkedMin
thelibrary.

'Well,that'sallthebusinessIcanthinkof.ForthelastcoupleofhoursI'vebeen
recallingapictureIsawasaboy,inatatteredvolumeofVictorianartitmusthavebeen
almostonehundredandfiftyyearsold.Ican'trememberwhetheritwasblackandwhite
orcolour.ButI'llneverforgetthetitledon'tlaughitwascalled"TheLastMessage
Home".Ourgreatgreatgrandfatherslovedthatkindofsentimentalmelodrama.
'Itshowsthedeckofawindjammerinahurricanethesailshavebeenrippedaway
andthedeck'sawash.Inthebackground,thecrewisstrugglingtosavetheship.Andin
theforeground,ayoungsailorboy'swritinganote,whilebesidehimisthebottlehehopes
willcarryittoland.
'EventhoughIwasakidatthetime,Ifeltheshouldhavebeengivinghisshipmatesa
hand,notwritingletters.Allthesame,itmovedme:IneverthoughtthatonedayI'dbelike
thatyoungsailor.
'Ofcourse,I'msureyou'llgetthismessageandthere'snothingIcandotohelpaboard
Leonov.Infact,I'vebeenpolitelyrequestedtokeepoutoftheway,somyconscienceis
quiteclearasIdictatethis.
'I'llsendituptothebridgenowbecauseinfifteenminuteswe'llbreaktransmissionas
wepullinthebigdishandbattendownthehatchesthere'sanothernicemaritime
analogyforyou!Jupiter'sfillingtheskynowIwon'tattempttodescribeitandwon'teven
seeitmuchlongerbecausetheshutterswillgoupinafewminutes.Anyway,thecameras
candofarbetterthanIcould.
'Goodbye,mydearest,andmylovetoyouallespeciallyChris.Bythetimeyouget
this,itwillbeover,onewayortheother.RememberItriedtodomybestforalloursakes
goodbye.'
Whenhehadremovedtheaudiochip,Floyddrifteduptothecommunicationscentre
andhandeditovertoSashaKovalev.
'Pleasemakesureitgetsoffbeforeweclosedown,'hesaidearnestly.
'Don'tworry,'promisedSasha.'I'mstillworkingonallchannels,andwehaveagoodten
minutesleft.'
Heheldouthishand.'Ifwedomeetagain,why,weshallsmile!Ifnot,whythen,this
partingwaswellmade.'Floydblinked.
'Shakespeare,Isuppose?'
'OfcourseBrutusandCassiusbeforebattle.Seeyoulater.'
TanyaandVasiliweretoointentupontheirsituationdisplaystodomorethanwaveto
Floyd,andheretreatedtohiscabin.Hehadalreadysaidfarewelltotherestofthecrew

therewasnothingtodobutwait.Hissleepingbagwasslunginpreparationforthereturn
ofgravitywhendecelerationcommenced,andhehadonlytoclimbintoit'Antennas
retracted,allprotectiveshieldsup,'saidtheintercomspeaker.'Weshouldfeelfirstbraking
infiveminutes.Everythingnormal.'
'That'shardlythewordI'duse,'Floydmutteredtohimself.'Ithinkyoumean"nominal".'
Hehadbarelyconcludedthethoughtwhentherewasadiffidentknockonthedoor.
'Ktotam?'
Tohisastonishment,itwasZenia.
'DoyoumindifIcomein?'sheaskedawkwardly,inasmallgirlvoicewhichFloydcould
scarcelyrecognize.
'Ofcoursenot.Butwhyaren'tyouinyourowncubicle?It'sonlyfiveminutestoreentry.'
Evenasheaskedthequestion,hewasawareofitsfoolishness.Theanswerwasso
perfectlyobviousthatZeniadidnotdeigntoreply.
ButZeniawastheverylastpersonhewouldhaveexpected:herattitudetowardhim
hadinvariablybeenpolitebutdistant.Indeed,shewastheonlymemberofthecrewwho
preferredtocallhimDrFloyd.Yetthereshewas,clearlyseekingcomfortand
companionshipatthemomentofperil.
'Zenia,mydear,'hesaidwryly.'You'rewelcome.Butmyaccommodationissomewhat
limited.OnemightevencallitSpartan.'
Shemanagedafaintsmile,butsaidnothingasshefloatedintotheroom.Forthefirst
time,Floydrealizedthatshewasnotmerelynervousshewasterrified.Thenhe
understoodwhyshehadcometohim.Shewasashamedtofacehercountrymenandwas
lookingforsupportelsewhere.
Withthisrealization,hispleasureattheunexpectedencounterabatedsomewhat.That
didnotlessenhisresponsibilitytoanotherlonelyhumanbeing,alongwayfromhome.
Thefactthatshewasanattractivethoughcertainlynotbeautifulwomanofbarelyhalf
hisownageshouldnothaveaffectedtheissue.Butitdidhewasbeginningtorisetothe
occasion.
Shemusthavenoticed,butdidnothingtoencourageordiscouragehimastheylay
downsidebysideinthesleepingcocoon.Therewasjustenoughroomforthemboth,and
Floydbegantodosomeanxiouscalculations.Supposemaximumgeewashigherthan
predicted,andthesuspensiongaveway?Theycouldeasilybekilled...

Therewasanamplesafetymarginnoneedtoworryaboutsuchanignominiousend.
Humourwastheenemyofdesiretheirembracewasnowcompletelychaste.Hewasnot
surewhethertobegladorsorry.
Anditwastoolateforsecondthoughts.Fromfar,farawaycamethefirstfaintwhisper
ofsound,likethewailingofsomelostsoul.Atthesamemoment,theshipgaveabarely
perceptiblejerkthecocoonbegantoswingaroundanditssuspensiontightened.After
weeksofweightlessness,gravitywasreturning.
Withinseconds,thefaintwailhadrisentoasteadyroar,andthecocoonhadbecome
anoverloadedhammock.Thisisnotsuchagoodidea,Floydthoughttohimself,alreadyit
wasdifficulttobreathe.Thedecelerationwasonlyapartoftheproblem:Zeniawas
clutchinghimasadrowningpersonissupposedtoclutchtheproverbialstraw.
Hedetachedherasgentlyashecould.
'It'sallright,Zenia.IfTsiendidit,socanwe.Relaxdon'tworry.'
Itwasdifficulttoshouttenderly,andhewasnotevensureifZeniaheardhimabovethe
roarofincandescenthydrogen.Butshewasnolongerclutchinghimquitesodesperately,
andheseizedtheopportunityoftakingafewdeepbreaths.
WhatwouldCarolinethinkifshecouldseehimnow?Wouldhetellherifheeverhad
thechance?Hewasnotsureshewouldunderstand.Atamomentlikethat,alllinkswith
Earthseemedverytenuousindeed.
Itwasimpossibletomove,ortospeak,butnowthathehadgrownaccustomedtothe
strangesenseofweighthewasnolongeruncomfortableexceptfortheincreasing
numbnessinhisrightarm.Withsomedifficulty,hemanagedtoextricateitfrombeneath
Zeniathefamiliaractbroughtafleetingsenseofguilt.Ashefelthiscirculationreturning,
Floydrememberedafamousremarkattributedtoatleastadozenastronautsand
cosmonauts:'Boththepleasuresandproblemsofzerogravitysexhavebeengreatly
exaggerated.'
Hewonderedhowtherestofthecrewwasfaring,andhegaveamomentarythoughtto
ChandraandCurnow,sleepingpeacefullythroughitall.TheywouldneverknowifLeonov
becameameteorshowerintheJoviansky.Hedidnotenvythemtheyhadmissedthe
experienceofalifetime.
Tanyawasspeakingovertheintercomherwordswerelostintheroar,buthervoice
soundedcalmandperfectlynormal,justasifshewasmakingaroutineannouncement.
Floydmanagedtoglanceathiswatch,andwasastonishedtoseethattheywerealready
atthemidpointofthebrakingmanoeuvre.Atthatverymoment,Leonovwasatitsclosest
approachtoJupiteronlyexpendableautomaticprobeshadgonedeeperintotheJovian
atmosphere.

'Halfwaythrough,Zenia,'heshouted.'Onthewayoutagain.'Hecouldnottellifshe
understood.Hereyesweretightlyclosed,butshesmiledslightly.
Theshipwasnowrockingnoticeably,likeasmallboatinachoppysea.Wasthat
normal?wonderedFloyd.HewasgladthathehadZeniatoworryaboutittookhismind
awayfromhisownfears.Justforamoment,beforehemanagedtoexpelthethought,he
hadavisionofthewallssuddenlyglowingcherryred,andcavinginuponhim.Likethe
nightmarefantasyofEdgarAllanPoe's'ThePitandthePendulum',whichhe'dforgotten
forthirtyyears.
Butthatwouldneverhappen.Iftheheatshieldfailed,theshipwouldcrumbleinstantly,
hammeredflatbyasolidwallofgas.Therewouldbenopainhisnervoussystemwould
nothavetimetoreactbeforeitceasedtoexist.Hehadexperiencedmoreconsoling
thoughts,butthisonewasnottobedespised.
Thebuffetingslowlyweakened.Therewasanotherinaudibleannouncementfrom
Tanya(hewouldpullherlegaboutthat,whenitwasallover).Nowtimeseemedtobe
goingmuchmoreslowlyafterawhilehestoppedlookingathiswatch,becausehecould
notbelieveit.Thedigitschangedsoslowlythathecouldalmostimaginehimselfinsome
Einsteiniantimedilation.
Andthensomethingevenmoreunbelievablehappened.Firsthewasamused,then
slightlyindignant.Zeniahadfallenasleepifnotexactlyinhisarms,thenatleastbeside
them.
Itwasanaturalreaction:thestrainmusthaveexhaustedher,andthewisdomofthe
bodyhadcometoherrescue.AndsuddenlyFloydhimselfbecameawareofanalmost
postorgasmicdrowsiness,asifhetoohadbeenemotionallydrainedbytheencounter.He
hadtofighttoremainawake.
Andthenhewasfalling...falling...falling...itwasallover.Theshipwasbackinspace,
whereitbelonged.AndheandZeniawerefloatingapart.
Theywouldneveragainbesoclosetogether,buttheywouldalwaysknowaspecial
tendernesstowardeachother,whichnooneelsecouldevershare.

15
EscapefromtheGiant

WhenFloydreachedtheobservationdeckadiscreetfewminutesafterZeniaJupiter
alreadyseemedfartheraway.Butthatmustbeanillusionbasedonhisknowledge,not

theevidenceofhiseyes.TheyhadbarelyemergedfromtheJovianatmosphere,andthe
planetstillfilledhalfthesky.
Andnowtheywereasintendeditsprisoners.Duringthelastincandescenthour,they
haddeliberatelyjettisonedtheexcessspeedthatcouldhavecarriedthemrightoutofthe
SolarSystem,andontothestars.Nowtheyweretravellinginanellipseaclassical
HohmannorbitwhichwouldshuttlethembackbetweenJupiterandtheorbitofIo,
350,000kilometreshigher.Iftheydidnotorcouldnotfiretheirmotorsagain,Leonov
wouldswingbackandforthbetweentheselimits,completingonerevolutionevery
nineteenhours.ItwouldbecometheclosestofJupiter'smoonsthoughnotforlong.Each
timeitgrazedtheatmosphereitwouldlosealtitude,untilitspiralledintodestruction.
Floydhadneverreallyenjoyedvodka,buthejoinedtheotherswithoutanyreservations
indrinkingatriumphanttoasttotheship'sdesigners,coupledwithavoteofthankstoSir
IsaacNewton.ThenTanyaputthebottlefirmlybackinitscupboardtherewasstillmuch
tobedone.
Thoughtheywereallexpectingit,everyonejumpedatthesuddenmuffledthudof
explosivecharges,andthejoltofseparation.Afewsecondslater,alarge,stillglowing
diskfloatedintoview,slowlyturningendoverendasitdriftedawayfromtheship.
'Look!'criedMax.'Aflyingsaucer!Who'sgotacamera?'Therewasadistinctnoteof
hystericalreliefinthelaughterthatfollowed.Itwasinterruptedbythecaptain,inamore
seriousvein.
'Goodbye,faithfulheatshield!Youdidawonderfuljob.'
'Butwhatawaste!'saidSasha.'There'satleastacoupleoftonsleft,Thinkofallthe
extrapayloadwecouldhavecarried!'
'Ifthat'sgood,conservativeRussianengineering,'retortedFloyd,'thenI'mallforit.Far
betterafewtonstoomuchthanonemilligramtoolittle.'
Everyoneapplaudedthosenoblesentimentsasthejettisonedshieldcooledtoyellow,
thenred,andfinallybecameasblackasthespacearoundit.Itvanishedfromsightwhile
onlyafewkilometresaway,thoughoccasionallythesuddenreappearanceofaneclipsed
starwouldbetrayitspresence.
'Preliminaryorbitcheckcompleted,'saidVasili.'We'rewithintenmetresasecondofour
rightvector.Notbadforafirsttry.'
Therewasasubduedsighofreliefatthenews,andafewminuteslaterVasilimade
anotherannouncement.
'Changingattitudeforcoursecorrectiondeltaveesixmetresasecond.Twentysecond
burncomingupinoneminute.'

TheywerestillsoclosetoJupiteritwasimpossibletobelievethattheshipwasorbiting
theplanettheymighthavebeeninahighflyingaircraftthathadjustemergedfromasea
ofclouds.Therewasnosenseofscaleitwaseasytoimaginethattheywerespeeding
awayfromsometerrestrialsunsettheredsandpinksandcrimsonsslidingbelowwereso
familiar.
AndthatwasanillusionnothingherehadanyparallelswithEarth.Thosecolourswere
intrinsic,notborrowedfromthesettingsun.Theverygaseswereutterlyalienmethane
andammoniaandawitch'sbrewofhydrocarbons,stirredinahydrogenheliumcauldron.
Notonetraceoffreeoxygen,thebreathofhumanlife.
Thecloudsmarchedfromhorizontohorizoninparallelrows,distortedbyoccasional
swirlsandeddies.Hereandthereupwellingsofbrightergasbrokethepattern,andFloyd
couldalsoseethedarkrimofagreatwhirlpool,amaelstrom ofgasleadingdowninto
unfathomableJoviandepths.
HebegantolookfortheGreatRedSpot,thenquicklycheckedhimselfatsuchafoolish
thought.Alltheenormouscloudscapehecouldseebelowwouldbeonlyafewpercentof
theRedSpot'simmensityonemightaswellexpecttorecognizetheshapeoftheUnited
StatesfromasmallaeroplaneflyinglowaboveKansas.
'Correctioncompleted.We'renowoninterceptionorbitwithIo.Arrivaltime:eighthours,
fiftyfiveminutes.'
LessthanninehourstoclimbupfromJupiterandmeetwhateveriswaitingforus,
thoughtFloyd.We'veescapedfromthegiantbutherepresentsadangerweunderstood,
andcouldpreparefor.Whatliesaheadnowisuttermystery.
Andwhenwehavesurvivedthatchallenge,wemustreturntoJupiteronceagain.We
shallneedhisstrengthtosendussafelyhome.

16
PrivateLine

'...Hello,Dimitri.ThisisWoody,switchingtoKeyTwoinfifteenseconds...Hello,Dimitri
multiplyKeysThreeandFour,takecuberoot,addpisquaredandusenearestintegeras
KeyFive.UnlessyourcomputersareamilliontimesfasterthanoursandI'mdamnsure
they'renotnoonecandecryptthis,onyoursideormine.Butyoumayhavesome
explainingtodoanyway,you'regoodatthat.

'Bytheway,myusualexcellentsourcestoldmeaboutthefailureofthelatestattemptto
persuadeoldAndreitoresignIgatherthatyourdelegationhadnomoreluckthanthe
others,andyou'restillsaddledwithhimasPresident.I'mlaughingmyheadoffitserves
theAcademyright.Iknowhe'soverninety,andgrowingabitwell,stubborn.Butyou
won'tgetanyhelpfromme,eventhoughI'mtheworld'ssorry,SolarSystem'sleading
expertonthepainlessremovalofelderlyscientists.
'WouldyoubelievethatI'mstillslightlydrunk?Wefeltwedeservedalittleparty,once
we'dsuccessfullyrendezrendezvous,damn,rendezvousedwithDiscovery.Besides,we
hadtwonewcrewmemberstowelcomeaboard.Chandradoesn'tbelieveinalcoholit
makesyoutoohumanbutWalterCurnowmorethanmadeupforhim,OnlyTanya
remainedstonecoldsober,justasyou'dexpect.
'MyfellowAmericansIsoundlikeapolitician,Godhelpmecameoutofhibernation
withoutanyproblems,andarebothlookingforwardtostartingwork.We'llallhavetomove
quicklynotonlyistimerunningout,butDiscoveryseemstobeinverybadshape.We
couldhardlybelieveoureyeswhenwesawhowitsspotlesswhitehullhadturnedasickly
yellow.
'Io'stoblame,ofcourse.Theship'sspiralleddowntowithinthreethousandkilometres,
andeveryfewdaysoneofthevolcanoesblastsafewmegatonsofsulphurupintothe
sky.Eventhoughyou'veseenthemovies,youcan'treallyimaginewhatit'sliketohang
abovethatinfernoI'llbegladwhenwecangetaway,eventhoughwe'llbeheadingfor
somethingmuchmoremysteriousandperhapsfarmoredangerous.
'IflewoverKilaueaduringthe'06eruptionthatwasmightyscary,butitwasnothing
nothingcomparedtothis.Atthemoment,we'reoverthenightside,andthatmakesit
worse.Youcanseejustenoughtoimaginealotmore.It'sasclosetoHellasIeverwant
toget.
'Someofthesulphurlakesarehotenoughtoglow,butmostofthelightcomesfrom
electricaldischarges.Everyfewminutesthewholelandscapeseemstoexplode,asifa
giantphotoflashhasgoneoffaboveit.Andthat'sprobablynotabadanalogythereare
millionsofampsflowinginthefluxtubelinkingIoandJupiter,andeverysooftenthere'sa
breakdown.ThenyougetthebiggestlightningflashintheSolarSystem,andhalfour
circuitbreakersjumpoutinsympathy.
'There'sjustbeenaneruptionrightontheterminator,andIcanseeahugecloud
expandinguptowardus,climbingintothesunlight.Idoubtifitwillreachouraltitude,and
evenifitdoesitwillbeharmlessbythetimeitgetshere.Butitlooksominousaspace
monster,tryingtodevourus.
'Soonafterwegothere,IrealizedthatIoremindedmeofsomethingittookmea
coupleofdaystoworkitout,andthenIhadtocheckwithMissionArchivesbecausethe
ship'slibrarycouldn'thelpshameonit.DoyourememberhowIintroducedyoutoThe
LordoftheRings,whenwewerekidsbackatthatOxfordconference?Well,IoisMordor:

lookupPartThree.There'sapassageabout"riversofmoltenrockthatwoundtheirway...
untiltheycooledandlayliketwisteddragonshapesvomitedfromthetormentedearth."
That'saperfectdescription:howdidTolkienknow,aquartercenturybeforeanyoneever
sawapictureofIo?TalkaboutNatureimitatingArt.
'Atleastwewon'thavetolandthere:Idon'tthinkthatevenourlateChinesecolleagues
wouldhaveattemptedthat.Butperhapsonedayitmaybepossiblethereareareasthat
seemfairlystable,andnotcontinuallyinundatedbysulphurfloods.
'Whowouldhavebelievedthatwe'dcomeallthewaytoJupiter,greatestofplanets
andthenignoreit.Yetthat'swhatwe'redoingmostofthetimeandwhenwe'renot
lookingatIoorDiscovery,we'rethinkingabouttheArtifact.
'It'sstilltenthousandkilometresaway,upthereatthelibrationpoint,butwhenIlookat
itthroughthemaintelescopeitseemscloseenoughtotouch.Becauseit'ssocompletely
featureless,there'snoindicationofsize,nowaytheeyecanjudgeit'sreallyacoupleof
kilometreslong.Ifit'ssolid,itmustweighbillionsoftons.
'Butisitsolid?Itgivesalmostnoradarecho,evenwhenit'ssquareontous.Wecan
seeitonlyasablacksilhouetteagainstthecloudsofJupiter,threehundredthousand
kilometresbelow.Apartfromitssize,itlooksexactlylikethemonolithweduguponthe
Moon.
'Well,tomorrowwe'llgoaboardDiscovery,andIdon'tknowwhenI'llhavetimeor
opportunitytospeaktoyouagain.Butthere'sonemorething,oldfriend,beforeIsignoff.
'It'sCaroline.She'sneverreallyunderstoodwhyIhadtoleaveEarth,andinawayI
don'tthinkshe'lleverquiteforgiveme.Somewomenbelieve,thatloveisn'ttheonlything
buteverything.Perhapsthey'reright...anyway,it'scertainlytoolatetoarguenow.
'Tryandcheerherupwhenyouhaveachance.Shetalksaboutgoingbacktothe
mainland.I'mafraidthatifshedoes...
'Ifyoucan'tgetthroughtoher,trytocheerupChris.ImisshimmorethanIcaretosay.
'He'llbelieveUncleDimitriifyousaythathisfatherstillloveshim,andwillbecoming
homejustasquicklyashecan.'

17
BoardingParty

Eveninthebestofcircumstances,itisnoteasytoboardaderelictanduncooperative
spaceship.Indeed,itcanbepositivelydangerous.
WalterCurnowknewthatasanabstractprinciplebuthedidnotreallyfeelitinhis
bonesuntilhesawtheentirehundredmetrelengthofDiscoveryturningendoverend,
whileLeonovkeptatasafedistance.Yearsago,frictionhadbrakedthespinof
Discovery'scarousel,thustransferringitsangularmomentum totherestofthestructure.
Now,likeadrummajorette'sbatonattheheightofitstrajectory,theabandonedshipwas
slowlytumblingalongitsorbit.
Thefirstproblemwastostopthatspin,whichmadeDiscoverynotonlyuncontrollable
butalmostunapproachable.AshesuitedupintheairlockwithMaxBrailovsky,Curnow
hadaveryraresensationofincompetence,eveninferiorityitwasnothislineofbusiness.
Hehadalreadyexplainedgloomily,'I'maspaceengineer,notaspacemonkey'butthe
jobhadtobedone.HealonepossessedtheskillsthatcouldsaveDiscoveryfromIo's
grasp.Maxandhiscolleagues,workingwithunfamiliarcircuitdiagramsandequipment,
wouldtakefartoolong.Bythetimetheyhadrestoredpowertotheshipandmasteredits
controls,itwouldhaveplungedintothesulphurousfirepitsbelow.
'You'renotscared,areyou?'askedMax,whentheywereabouttoputontheirhelmets.
'Notenoughtomakeamessinmysuit.Otherwise,yes.'Maxchuckled.'I'dsaythat's
aboutrightforthisjob.Butdon'tworryI'llgetyouthereinonepiece,withmywhatdo
youcallit?'
'Broomstick.Becausewitchesaresupposedtoridethem.'
'Ohyes.Haveyoueverusedone?'
'Itriedonce,butminegotawayfromme.Everyoneelsethoughtitwasveryfunny.'
Therearesomeprofessionswhichhaveevolveduniqueandcharacteristictoolsthe
longshoreman'shook,thepotter'swheel,thebricklayer'strowel,thegeologist'shammer.
Themenwhohadtospendmuchoftheirtimeonzerogravityconstructionprojectshad
developedthebroomstick.
Itwasverysimpleahollowtubejustametrelong,withafootpadatoneendanda
retainingloopattheother.Atthetouchofabutton,itcouldtelescopeouttofiveorsix
timesitsnormallength,andtheinternalshockabsorbingsystemallowedaskilled
operatortoperformthemostamazingmanoeuvres.Thefootpadcouldalsobecomea
claworhookifnecessarythereweremanyotherrefinements,butthatwasthebasic
design.Itlookeddeceptivelyeasytouseitwasn't.
TheairlockpumpsfinishedrecyclingtheEXITsigncameontheouterdoorsopened,
andtheydriftedslowlyintothevoid.

Discoverywaswindmillingabouttwohundredmetresaway,followingtheminorbit
aroundIo,whichfilledhalfthesky.Jupiterwasinvisible,ontheothersideofthesatellite.
ThiswasamatterofdeliberatechoicetheywereusingIoasashieldtoprotectthemfrom
theenergiesragingbackandforthinthefluxtubethatlinkedthetwoworlds.Evenso,the
radiationlevelwasdangerouslyhightheyhadlessthanfifteenminutesbeforetheymust
getbacktoshelter.
Almostimmediately,Curnowhadaproblemwithhissuit.'ItfittedmewhenIleftEarth,'
hecomplained.'ButnowI'mrattlingaroundinsidelikeapeainapod.'
'That'sperfectlynormal,Walter,'saidSurgeonCommanderRudenko,breakingintothe
radiocircuit.'Youlosttenkilosinhibernation,whichyoucouldverywellaffordtomiss.
Andyou'vealreadyputthreeofthemback.'
BeforeCurnowhadtimetothinkofasuitableretort,hefoundhimselfgentlybutfirmly
jerkedawayfromLeonov.
'Justrelax,Walter,'saidBrailovsky.'Don'tuseyourthrusters,evenifyoustarttumbling.
Letmedoallthework.'
Curnowcouldseethefaintpuffsfromtheyoungerman'sbackpack,asitstinyjetsdrove
themtowardDiscovery.Witheachlittlecloudofvapourtherecameagentletugonthe
towline,andhewouldstartmovingtowardBrailovskybuthenevercaughtupwithhim
beforethenextpuffcame.Hefeltratherlikeayoyonowmakingoneofitsperiodic
comebacksonEarthbouncingupanddownonitsstring.
Therewasonlyonesafewaytoapproachthederelict,andthatwasalongtheaxis
aroundwhichitwasslowlyrevolving.Discovery'scentreofrotationwasapproximately
amidships,nearthemainantennacomplex,andBrailovskywasheadingdirectlytoward
thisarea,withhisanxiouspartnerintow.Howwillhestopbothofusintime?Curnow
askedhimself.
Discoverywasnowahuge,slenderdumbbellslowlyflailingtheentireskyaheadof
them.Thoughittookseveralminutestocompleteonerevolution,thefarendswere
movingatanimpressivespeed.Curnowtriedtoignorethem,andconcentratedonthe
approachingandimmobilecentre.
'I'maimingforthat,'saidBrailovsky.'Don'ttrytohelp,anddon'tbesurprisedatanything
thathappens.'
Now,whatdoeshemeanbythat?Curnowaskedhimself,whilepreparingtobeas
unsurprisedaspossible.
Everythinghappenedinaboutfiveseconds.Brailovskytriggeredhisbroomstick,sothat
ittelescopedouttoitsfulllengthoffourmetresandmadecontactwiththeapproaching
ship.Thebroomstickstartedtocollapse,itsinternalspringabsorbingBrailovsky's

considerablemomentumbutitdidnot,asCurnowhadfullyexpected,bringhimtorest
besidetheantennamount.Itimmediatelyexpandedagain,reversingtheRussian's
velocitysothathewas,ineffect,reflectedawayfromDiscoveryjustasrapidlyashehad
approached.HeflashedpastCurnow,headingoutintospaceagain,onlyafew
centimetresaway.ThestartledAmericanjusthadtimetoglimpsealargegrinbefore
Brailovskyshotpasthim.
Asecondlater,therewasajerkonthelineconnectingthem,andaquicksurgeof
decelerationastheysharedmomentum.Theiropposingvelocitieshadbeenneatly
cancelledtheywerevirtuallyatrestwithrespecttoDiscovery.Curnowhadmerelyto
reachouttothenearesthandhold,anddragthembothin.
'HaveyouevertriedRussianroulette?'heasked,whenhehadgothisbreathback.
'Nowhatisit?'
'Imustteachyousometime.It'salmostasgoodasthisforcuringboredom.'
'Ihopeyou'renotsuggesting,Walter,thatMaxwoulddoanythingdangerous?'
DrRudenkosoundedasifshewasgenuinelyshocked,andCurnowdecideditwasbest
nottoanswersometimestheRussiansdidnotunderstandhispeculiarsenseofhumour.
'Youcouldhavefooledme,'hemutteredunderhisbreath,notloudenoughforhertohear.
Nowthattheywerefirmlyattachedtothehubofthewindmillingship,hewasnolonger
consciousofitsrotationespeciallywhenhefixedhisgazeuponthemetalplates
immediatelybeforehiseyes.Theladderstretchingawayintothedistance,runningalong
theslendercylinderthatwasDiscovery'smainstructure,washisnextobjective.The
sphericalcommandmoduleatitsfarendseemedseverallightyearsaway,thoughhe
knewperfectlywellthatthedistancewasonlyfiftymetres.
'I'llgofirst,'saidBrailovsky,reelingintheslackonthelinelinkingthemtogether.
'Rememberit'sdownhillallthewayfromhere.Butthat'snoproblem youcanholdon
withonehand.Evenatthebottom,gravity'sonlyaboutatenthgee.Andthat'swhatdo
yousay?chickenshit.'
'Ithinkyoumeanchickenfeed.Andifit'sallthesametoyou,I'mgoingfeetfirst.Inever
likedcrawlingdownladdersthewrongwayupeveninfractionalgravity.'
Itwasessential,Curnowwasverywellaware,tokeepupthisgentlybanteringtone
otherwisehewouldbesimplyoverwhelmedbythemysteryanddangerofthesituation.
Therehewas,almostabillionkilometresfromhome,abouttoenterthemostfamous
derelictintheentirehistoryofspaceexplorationamediareporterhadoncecalled
DiscoverytheMarieCelesteofspace,andthatwasnotabadanalogy.Buttherewasalso
muchthatmadehissituationuniqueevenifhetriedtoignorethenightmaremoonscape

fillinghalfthesky,therewasaconstantreminderofitspresenceathand.Everytimehe
touchedtherungsoftheladder,hisglovedislodgedathinmistofsulphurdust.
Brailovsky,ofcourse,wasquitecorrecttherotationalgravitycausedbytheship'send
overendtumblingwaseasilycountered.Ashegrewusedtoit,Curnowevenwelcomed
thesenseofdirectionitgavehim.
Andthen,quitesuddenly,theyhadreachedthebig,discolouredsphereofDiscovery's
controlandlifesupportmodule.Onlyafewmetresawaywasanemergencyhatchthe
veryone,Curnowrealized,thatBowmanhadenteredforhisfinalconfrontationwithHal.
'Hopewecangetin,'mutteredBrailovsky.'Pitytocomeallthiswayandfindthedoor
locked.'
HescrapedawaythesulphurobscuringtheAIRLOCKSTATUSdisplaypanel.
'Dead,ofcourse.ShallItrythecontrols?'
'Won'tdoanyharm butnothingwillhappen.'
'You'reright.Well,heregoeswithmanual...
Itwasfascinatingtowatchthenarrowhairlineopeninthecurvedwall,andtonotethe
littlepuffofvapourdispersingintospace,carryingwithitascrapofpaper.Wasthatsome
vitalmessage?Theywouldneverknowitspunaway,tumblingendoverendwithout
losinganyofitsinitialspinasitdisappearedagainstthestars.
Brailovskykeptturningthemanualcontrolforwhatseemedaverylongtime,beforethe
dark,uninvitingcaveoftheairlockwascompletelyopen.Curnowhadhopedthatthe
emergencylights,atleast,mightstillbeoperating.Nosuchluck.
'You'rebossnow,Walter.WelcometoUSterritory.'
Itcertainlydidnotlookverywelcomingasheclamberedinside,flashingthebeamofhis
helmetlightaroundtheinterior.AsfarasCurnowcouldtell,everythingwasingoodorder.
Whatelsehadheexpected?heaskedhimself,halfangrily.
Closingthedoormanuallytookevenlongerthanopeningit,buttherewasno
alternativeuntiltheshipwaspoweredupagain.Justbeforethehatchwassealed,Curnow
riskedaglanceattheinsanepanoramaoutside.
Aflickeringbluelakehadopenedupneartheequatorhewassureithadnotbeen
thereafewhoursearlier.Brilliantyellowflares,thecharacteristiccolourofglowing
sodium,weredancingalongitsedgesandthewholeofthenightlandwasveiledinthe
ghostlyplasmadischargeofoneofIo'salmostcontinuousauroras.

Itwasthestuffoffuturenightmaresandasifthatwasnotsufficient,therewasone
furthertouchworthyofamadsurrealistartist.Stabbingupintotheblacksky,apparently
emergingdirectlyfromthefirepitsoftheburningmoon,wasanimmense,curvinghorn,
suchasadoomedbullfightermighthaveglimpsedinthefinalmomentoftruth.
ThecrescentofJupiterwasrisingtogreetDiscoveryandLeonovastheyswepttoward
italongtheircommonorbit.

18
Salvage

Themomentthattheouterhatchhadclosedbehindthem,therehadbeenasubtle
reversalofroles.Curnowwasathomenow,whileBrailovskywasoutofhiselement,
feelingillateaseinthelabyrinthofpitchblackcorridorsandtunnelsthatwasDiscovery's
interior.Intheory,Maxknewhiswayroundtheship,butthatknowledgewasbasedonly
onastudyofitsdesigndrawings.Curnow,ontheotherhand,hadspentmonthsworking
inDiscovery'sstilluncompletedidenticaltwinhecould,quiteliterally,findhiswayaround
blindfolded.
Progresswasmadedifficultbecausethatpartoftheshipwasdesignedforzerogee
nowtheuncontrolledspinprovidedanartificialgravity,which,slightthoughitwas,always
seemedtobeinthemostinconvenientdirection.
'Firstthingwe'vegottodo,'mutteredCurnow,afterslidingseveralmetresdowna
corridorbeforehecouldgrabahandhold,'istostopthisdamnedspin.Andwecan'tdo
thatuntilwehavepower.IonlyhopethatDaveBowmansafeguardedallsystemsbefore
heabandonedship.'
'Areyousurehedidabandontheship?Hemayhaveintendedtocomeback.'
'YoumayberightIdon'tsupposewe'lleverknow.Ifheevenknewhimself.'
TheyhadnowenteredthePodBayDiscovery's'spacegarage',whichnormally
containedthreeofthesphericalonemanmodulesusedforactivitiesoutsidetheship.
OnlyPodNumber3remainedNumber1hadbeenlostinthemysteriousaccidentthat
hadkilledFrankPooleandNumber2waswithDaveBowman,whereverhemightbe.
ThePodBayalsocontainedtwospacesuits,lookinguncomfortablylikedecapitated
corpsesastheyhunghelmetlessintheirracks.Itneededverylittleeffortofthe
imaginationandBrailovsky'swasnowworkingovertimetofillthemwithawhole
menagerieofsinisteroccupants.

Itwasunfortunate,butnotaltogethersurprising,thatCurnow'ssometimesirresponsible
senseofhumourgotthebetterofhimatthisverymoment.
'Max,'hesaid,inatoneofdeadlyseriousness,'whateverhappenspleasedon'tgo
chasingoffaftertheship'scat.'
Forafewmilliseconds,Brailovskywasthrownoffguardhealmostanswered:'Idowish
youhadn'tsaidthat,Walter',butcheckedhimselfintime.Thatwouldhavebeentoo
damninganadmissionofweaknessinsteadhereplied,'I'dliketomeettheidiotwhoput
thatmovieinourlibrary.'
'Katerinaprobablydidit,totesteveryone'spsychologicalbalance.Anyway,you
laughedyourheadoffwhenwescreeneditlastweek.'
BrailovskywassilentCurnow'sremarkwasperfectlytrue.Butthathadbeenbackin
thefamiliarwarmthandlightofLeonov,amonghisfriendsnotinapitchblack,freezing
derelict,hauntedbyghosts.Nomatterhowrationalonewas,itwasalltooeasytoimagine
someimplacablealienbeastprowlingthesecorridors,seekingwhomitmightdevour.
It'sallyourfault,Grandma(maytheSiberiantundralielightlyonyourbelovedbones)I
wishyouhadn'tfilledmymindwithsomanyofthosegruesomelegends.IfIclosemy
eyes,IcanstillseethehutoftheBabaYaga,standinginthatforestclearingonits
scrawnychickenlegs...
Enoughofthisnonsense.I'mabrilliantyoungengineerfacedwiththebiggesttechnical
challengeofhislife,andImustn'tletmyAmericanfriendknowthatI'msometimesa
frightenedlittleboy.
Thenoisesdidnothelp.Thereweretoomanyofthem,thoughtheyweresofaintthat
onlyanexperiencedastronautwouldhavedetectedthemagainstthesoundsofhisown
suit.ButtoMaxBrailovsky,accustomedtoworkinginanenvironmentofuttersilence,they
weredistinctlyunnerving,eventhoughheknewthattheoccasionalcracklingsand
creakingswerealmostcertainlycausedbythermalexpansionastheshipturnedlikea
roastonaspit.Feeblethoughthesunwasouthere,therewasstillanappreciable
temperaturechangebetweenlightandshade.
Evenhisfamiliarspacesuitfeltwrong,nowthattherewaspressureoutsideaswellas
in.Alltheforcesactingonitsjointsweresubtlyaltered,andhecouldnolongerjudgehis
movementsaccurately.I'mabeginner,startingmytrainingalloveragain,hetoldhimself
angrily.Timetobreakthemoodbysomedecisiveaction.
'WalterI'dliketotesttheatmosphere.'
'Pressure'sokaytemperaturephewit'sonehundredfivebelowzero.'

'AnicebracingRussianwinter.Anyway,theairinmysuitwillkeepouttheworstofthe
cold.'
'Well,goahead.Butletmeshinemylightonyourface,soIcanseeifyoustarttoturn
blue.Andkeeptalking.'
Brailovskyunsealedhisvisorandswungthefaceplateupward.Heflinchedmomentarily
asicyfingersseemedtocaresshischeeks,thentookacautioussniff,followedbya
deeperbreath.
'Chillybutmylungsaren'tfreezing.There'safunnysmell,though.Stale,rottenasif
something'sohno!'
Lookingsuddenlypale,Brailovskyquicklysnappedthefaceplateshut.
'What'sthetrouble,Max?'Curnowaskedwithsuddenandnowperfectlygenuine
anxiety.Brailovskydidnotreplyhelookedasifhewasstilltryingtoregaincontrolof
himself.Indeed,heseemedinrealdangerofthatalwayshorribleandsometimesfatal
disastervomitinginaspacesuit.
TherewasalongsilencethenCurnowsaidreassuringly:
'Igetit.ButI'msureyou'rewrong.WeknowthatPoolewaslostinspace.Bowman
reportedthathe...ejectedtheothersaftertheydiedinhibernationandwecanbesure
thathedid.Therecan'tbeanyonehere.Besides,it'ssocold.'Healmostadded'likea
morgue'butcheckedhimselfintime.
'But'suppose,'whisperedBrailovsky,'justsupposeBowmanmanagedtogetbackto
theshipanddiedhere.'
TherewasanevenlongersilencebeforeCurnowdeliberatelyandslowlyopenedhis
ownfaceplate.Hewincedasthefreezingairbitintohislungs,thenwrinkledhisnosein
disgust.
'Iseewhatyoumean.Butyou'relettingyourimaginationrunawaywithyou.I'llbetyou
tentoonethatsmellcomesfromthegalley.Probablysomemeatwentbad,beforethe
shipfrozeup.AndBowmanmusthavebeentoobusytobeagoodhousekeeper.I've
knownbachelorapartmentsthatsmelledasbadasthis.'
'Maybeyou'reright.Ihopeyouare.'
'OfcourseIam.AndevenifI'mnotdammit,whatdifferencedoesitmake?We'vegot
ajobtodo,Max.IfDaveBowman'sstillhere,that'snotourdepartmentisit,Katerina?'
TherewasnoreplyfromtheSurgeonCommandertheyhadgonetoofarinsidethe
shipforradiotopenetrate.Theywereindeedontheirown,butMax'sspiritswererapidly

reviving.Itwasaprivilege,hedecided,toworkwithWalter.TheAmericanengineer
sometimesappearedsoftandeasygoing.Buthewastotallycompetentand,when
necessary,ashardasnails.
Together,theywouldbringDiscoverybacktolifeand,perhaps,backtoEarth.

19
OperationWINDMILL

WhenDiscoverysuddenlylitupliketheproverbialChristmastree,navigationand
interiorlightsblazingfromendtoend,thecheeraboardLeonovmightalmosthavebeen
heardacrossthevacuumbetweenthetwoships.Itturnedintoanironicgroanwhenthe
lightspromptlywentoutagain.
NothingelsehappenedforhalfanhourthentheobservationwindowsofDiscovery's
flightdeckbegantoglowwiththesoftcrimsonoftheemergencylights.Afewminutes
later,CurnowandBrailovskycouldbeseenmovingaroundinside,theirfiguresblurredby
thefilmofsulphurdust.
'Hello,MaxWaltercanyouhearus?'calledTanyaOrlova.Boththefigureswaved
instantly,butmadenootherreply.Obviously,theyweretoobusytoengageincasual
conversationthewatchersonLeonovhadtowaitpatientlywhilevariouslightsflashedon
andoff,oneofthethreePodBaydoorsslowlyopenedandquicklyclosed,andthemain
antennaslewedaroundamodesttendegrees.
'Hello,Leonov,'saidCurnowatlast.'Sorrytokeepyouwaiting,butwe'vebeenrather
busy.
'Here'saquickassessment,judgingfromwhatwe'veseensofar.Theship'sinmuch
bettershapethanIfeared.Hull'sintact,leakagenegligibleairpressureeightyfiveper
centnominal.Quitebreathable,butwe'llhavetodoamajorrecyclingjobbecauseitstinks
tohighheaven.
'Thebestnewsisthatthepowersystemsareokay.Mainreactorstable,batteriesin
goodshape.Almostallthecircuitbreakerswereopenthey'djumpedorbeenthrownby
Bowmanbeforeheleftsoallvitalequipment'sbeensafeguarded.Butitwillbeaverybig
jobcheckingeverythingbeforewehavefullpoweragain.'
'Howlongwillthattakeatleastfortheessentialsystems:lifesupport,propulsion?'
'Hardtosay,skipper.Howlongbeforewecrash?'

'Minimumpresentpredictionistendays.Butyouknowhowthat'schangedupand
down.'
'Well,ifwedon'trunintoanymajorsnags,wecanhaulDiscoveryuptoastableorbit
awayfromthishellholeoh,I'dsayinsideaweek.'
'Anythingyouneed?'
'NoMaxandIaredoingfine.We'regoingintothecarouselnow,tocheckthe
bearings.Iwanttogetitrunningassoonaspossible.'
'Pardonme,Walterbutisthatimportant?Gravity'sconvenient,butwe'vemanaged
withoutanyforquiteawhile.'
'I'mnotaftergravity,thoughitwillbeusefultohavesomeaboard.Ifwecangetthe
carouselrunningagain,itwillmopuptheship'sspinstopittumbling.Thenwe'llbeable
tocoupleourairlockstogether,andcutoutEVAs.Thatwillmakeworkahundredtimes
easier.'
'Niceidea,Walterbutyou'renotgoingtomatemyshiptothat...windmill.Supposethe
bearingsseizeupandthecarouseljams?Thatwouldtearustopieces.'
'Agreed.We'llcrossthatbridgewhenwecometoit.I'llreportagainassoonasIcan.'
Noonehadmuchrestforthenexttwodays.Bytheendofthattime,Curnowand
Brailovskyhadpracticallyfallenasleepintheirsuits,buthadcompletedtheirsurveyof
Discoveryandfoundnounpleasantsurprises.BoththeSpaceAgencyandtheState
Departmentwererelievedbythepreliminaryreportitallowedthemtoclaim,withsome
justification,thatDiscoverywasnotaderelictbuta'temporarilydecommissionedUnited
StatesSpacecraft'.Nowthetaskofreconditioninghadtobegin.
Oncepowerhadbeenrestored,thenextproblemwastheaireventhemostthorough
housecleaningoperationshadfailedtoremovethestink.Curnowhadbeenrightin
identifyingitssourceasfoodspoiledwhenrefrigerationhadfailedhealsoclaimed,with
mockseriousness,thatitwasquiteromantic.'I'veonlygottoclosemyeyes,'heasserted,
'andIfeelI'mbackonanoldtimewhalingship.CanyouimaginewhatthePequodmust
havesmelledlike?'
Itwasunanimouslyagreedthat,afteravisittoDiscovery,verylittleeffortofthe
imaginationwasrequired.Theproblemwasfinallysolvedoratleastreducedto
manageableproportionsbydumpingtheship'satmosphere.Fortunately,therewasstill
enoughairinthereservetankstoreplaceit.
Onepieceofverywelcomenewswasthatninetypercentofthepropellantneededfor
thereturnjourneywasstillavailablechoosingammoniainsteadofhydrogenasworking

fluidfortheplasmadrivehadpaidoffhandsomely.Themoreefficienthydrogenwould
haveboiledoffintospaceyearsago,despitetheinsulationofthetanksandthefrigid
temperatureoutside.Butalmostalltheammoniahadremainedsafelyliquified,andthere
wasenoughtogettheshipbacktoasafeorbitaroundtheEarth.Oratleastaroundthe
Moon.
CheckingDiscovery'spropellerlikespinwasperhapsthemostcriticalstepingettingthe
shipundercontrol.SashaKovalevcomparedCurnowandBrailovskytoDonQuixoteand
SanchoPanza,andexpressedthehopethattheirwindmilltiltingexpeditionwouldend
moresuccessfully.
Verycautiously,withmanypausesforchecking,powerwasfedtothecarouselmotors
andthegreatdrumwasbroughtuptospeed,reabsorbingthespinithadlongago
impartedtotheship.Discoveryexecutedacomplexseriesofprecessions,untileventually
itsendoverendtumblehadalmostvanished.Thelasttracesofunwantedrotationwere
neutralizedbytheattitudecontroljets,untilthetwoshipswerefloatingmotionlesssideby
side,thesquat,stockyLeonovdwarfedbythelong,slenderDiscovery.
Transferfromonetotheotherwasnowsafeandeasy,butCaptainOrlovastillrefused
topermitaphysicallinkup.Everyoneagreedwiththisdecision,forIowascomingsteadily
closertheymightyethavetoabandonthevesseltheyhadworkedsohardtosave.
ThefactthattheynowknewthereasonforDiscovery'smysteriousorbitaldecaydidnot
helpintheleast.EverytimetheshippassedbetweenJupiterandIo,itslicedthroughthe
invisiblefluxtubelinkingthetwobodiestheelectricriverflowingfromworldtoworld.The
resultingeddycurrentsinducedintheshipwerecontinuallyslowingitdown,brakingit
onceeveryrevolution.
Therewasnowaytopredictthefinalmomentofimpact,forthecurrentinthefluxtube
variedwildlyaccordingtoJupiter'sowninscrutablelaws.Sometimesthereweredramatic
surgesofactivityaccompaniedbyspectacularelectricandauroralstormsaroundIo.Then
theshipswouldlosealtitudebymanykilometres,atthesametimebecoming
uncomfortablyhotbeforetheirthermalcontrolsystemscouldreadjust.
Thisunexpectedeffecthadscaredandsurprisedeveryonebeforetheobvious
explanationwasrealized.Anyformofbrakingproducesheat,somewheretheheavy
currentsinducedinthehullsofLeonovandDiscoveryturnedthembrieflyintolow
poweredelectricfurnaces.ItwasnotsurprisingthatsomeofDiscovery'sfoodsupplyhad
beenruinedduringtheyearstheshiphadbeenalternatelycookedandcooled.
ThefesteringlandscapeofIo,lookingmorethaneverlikeanillustrationfromamedical
textbook,wasonlyfivehundredkilometresawaywhenCurnowriskedactivatingthemain
drive,whileLeonovstoodoffataveryrespectfuldistance.Therewerenovisibleeffects
noneofthesmokeandfireoftheoldtimechemicalrocketsbutthetwoshipsdrew
slowlyapartasDiscoverygainedspeed.Afterafewhoursofverygentlemanoeuvring,

bothshipshadraisedthemselvesathousandkilometresnowtherewastimetorelax
briefly,andtomakeplansforthenextstageinthemission.
'You'vedoneawonderfuljob,Walter,'saidSurgeonCommanderRudenko,puttingher
amplearmaroundtheexhaustedCurnow'sshoulders.'We'reallproudofyou.'
Verycasually,shebrokeasmallcapsuleunderhisnose.Itwastwentyfourhours
beforehewokeup,annoyedandhungry.

20
Guillotine

'Whatisit?'askedCurnowwithmilddistaste,heftingthelittlemechanisminhishand.'A
guillotineformice?'
'NotabaddescriptionbutI'mafterbiggergame.'Floydpointedtoaflashingarrowon
thedisplayscreen,whichwasnowshowingacomplicatedcircuitdiagram.
'Youseethisline?'
'Yesthemainpowersupply.So?'
'ThisisthepointwhereitentersHal'scentralprocessingunit.I'dlikeyoutoinstallthis
gadgethere.Insidethecabletrunking,whereitcan'tbefoundwithoutadeliberate
search.'
'Isee.Aremotecontrol,soyoucanpulltheplugonHalwheneveryouwantto.Very
neatandanonconductingblade,too,sotherewon'tbeanyembarrassingshortswhen
it'striggered.Whomakestoyslikethis?TheCIA?'
'Nevermind.Thecontrol'sinmyroom thatlittleredcalculatorIalwayskeeponmy
desk.Putinninenines,takethesquareroot,andpressTNT.That'sall.I'mnotsureofits
rangewe'llhavetotestthatbutaslongasLeonovandDiscoveryarewithinacoupleof
kilometresofeachother,there'llbenodangerofHalrunningamokagain.'
'Whoareyougoingtotellaboutthis...thing?'
'Well,theonlypersonI'mreallyhidingitfromisChandra.'
'Iguessedasmuch.'

'Butthefewerwhoknow,thelesslikelyitistobetalkedabout.I'lltellTanyathatit
exists,andifthere'sanemergencyyoucanshowherhowtooperateit.'
'Whatkindofemergency?'
'That'snotaverybrightquestion,Walter.IfIknew,Iwouldn'tneedthedamnthing.'
'Guessyou'reright.WhendoyouwantmetoinstallyourpatentedHalzapper?'
'Assoonasyoucan.Preferablytonight.WhenChandra'ssleeping.'
'Areyoukidding?Idon'tthinkheeversleeps.He'slikeamothernursingasickbaby.'
'Well,he'sgottocomebacktoLeonovtoeat,occasionally.'
'I'venewsforyou.Thelasttimehewentacross,hetiedalittlesackofricetohissuit.
Thatwillkeephimgoingforweeks.'
'Thenwe'llhavetouseoneofKaterina'sfamousknockoutdrops.Theydidapretty
goodjobonyou,didn'tthey?'
CurnowwasjokingaboutChandraatleast,Floydassumedthathewas,thoughone
couldneverbequitesure:hewasfondofmakingoutrageousstatementswithaperfectly
straightface.IthadbeensometimebeforetheRussianshadfullyrealizedthatsoon,in
selfdefence,theywerepronetopreemptivelaughsevenwhenCurnowwasbeing
perfectlyserious.
Curnow'sownlaugh,mercifully,hadmuchabatedsinceFloydhadfirsthearditinthe
upwardboundshuttleonthatoccasion,ithadobviouslybeenprimedbyalcohol.Hehad
fullyexpectedtocringefromitagainattheendoforbitparty,whenLeonovhadfinally
maderendezvouswithDiscovery.Butevenonthatoccasion,thoughCurnowhaddrunka
gooddeal,hehadremainedasmuchundercontrolasCaptainOrlovaherself.
Theonethinghedidtakeseriouslywashiswork.OnthewayupfromEarth,hehad
beenapassenger.Nowhewascrew.

21
Resurrection

Weare,Floydtoldhimself,abouttoawakenasleepinggiant.HowwillHalreacttoour
presence,afteralltheseyears?Whatwillherememberofthepastandwillhebe
friendly,orhostile?
AshefloatedjustbehindDrChandrainthezerogravityenvironmentofDiscovery's
flightdeck,Floyd'smindwasseldomfarfromthecutoffswitch,installedandtestedonlya
fewhoursearlier.Theradiocontrolwasmerecentimetresfromhishand,andhefelt
somewhatfoolishtohavebroughtitwithhim.Atthisstage,Halwasstilldisconnected
fromalltheship'soperationalcircuits.Evenifhewasreactivated,hewouldbeabrain
withoutlimbsthoughnotwithoutsenseorgans.Hewouldbeabletocommunicate,butnot
toact.AsCurnowhadputit,'Theworsthecandoisswearatus.'
'I'mreadyforthefirsttest,Captain,'saidChandra.'Allthemissingmoduleshavebeen
replaced,andI'verundiagnosticprogramsonallcircuits.Everythingappearsnormal,at
leastonthislevel.'
CaptainOrlovaglancedatFloyd,whogaveanod.AtChandra'sinsistence,onlythe
threeofthemwerepresentforthiscriticalfirstrun,anditwasquiteobviousthateventhis
smallaudiencewasunwelcome.
'Verywell,DrChandra.'Everconsciousofprotocol,thecaptainaddedquickly:'DrFloyd
hasgivenhisapproval,andIhavenoobjectionsmyself.'
'Ishouldexplain,'saidChandra,inatonethatclearlyconveyeddisapproval,'thathis
voicerecognitionandspeechsynthesiscentreshavebeendamaged.We'llhavetoteach
himtospeakalloveragain.Luckily,helearnsseveralmilliontimesfasterthanahuman
being.'
Thescientist'sfingersdancedoverthekeyboardashetypedoutadozenwords,
apparentlyatrandom,carefullypronouncingeachoneasitappearedonthescreen.Like
adistortedecho,thewordscamebackfromthespeakergrillelifeless,indeed
mechanical,withnosenseofanyintelligencebehindthem.Thisisn'ttheoldHal,thought
Floyd.It'snobetterthantheprimitivespeakingtoysthatweresuchanoveltywhenIwasa
kid.
ChandrapressedtheREPEATbutton,andtheseriesofwordssoundedonceagain.
Already,therewasanoticeableimprovement,thoughnoonecouldhavemistakenthe
speakerforahumanbeing.
'ThewordsIgavehimcontainthebasicEnglishphonemesaboutteniterations,and
he'llbeacceptable.ButIdon'thavetheequipmenttodoareallygoodjoboftherapy.'
'Therapy?'askedFloyd.'Youmeanthat'he'swell,braindamaged?'

'No,'snappedChandra.'Thelogiccircuitsareinperfectcondition.Onlythevoiceoutput
maybedefective,thoughitwillimprovesteadily.Socheckeverythingagainstthevisual
display,toavoidmisinterpretations.Andwhenyoudospeak,enunciatecarefully.'
FloydgaveCaptainOrlovaawrysmile,andaskedtheobviousquestion.
'WhataboutalltheRussianaccentsaroundhere?'
'I'msurethatwon'tbeaproblemwithCaptainOrlovaandDrKovalev.Butwiththe
otherswell,we'llhavetorunindividualtests.Anyonewhocan'tpasswillhavetousethe
keyboard.'
'That'sstilllookingalongwayahead.Forthepresent,you'retheonlypersonwho
shouldattemptcommunication.Agreed,Captain?'
'Absolutely.'
OnlythebriefestofnodsrevealedthatDrChandrahadheardthem.Hisfingers
continuedtoflyoverthekeyboard,andcolumnsofwordsandsymbolsflashedacrossthe
displayscreenatsucharatethatnohumanbeingcouldpossiblyassimilatethem.
PresumablyChandrahadaneideticmemory,forheappearedtorecognizewholepages
ofinformationataglance.
FloydandOrlovawerejustabouttoleavethescientisttohisarcanedevotionswhenhe
suddenlyacknowledgedtheirpresenceagain,holdinguphishandinwarningor
anticipation.Withanalmosthesitantmovement,inmarkedcontrastwithhispreviousswift
actions,heslidbackalockingbarandpressedasingle,isolatedkey.
Instantly,withnoperceptiblepause,avoicecamefromtheconsole,nolongerina
mechanicalparodyofhumanspeech.Therewasintelligenceconsciousnessself
awarenesshere,thoughasyetonlyonarudimentarylevel.
'Goodmorning,DrChandra,ThisisHal.Iamreadyformyfirstlesson.'
Therewasamomentofshockedsilencethen,actingonthesameimpulse,thetwo
observersleftthedeck.
HeywoodFloydwouldneverhavebelievedit.DrChandrawascrying.

Iv
LAGRANGE

22
BigBrother

'...Whatdelightfulnewsaboutthebabydolphin!IcanjustimaginehowexcitedChris
waswhentheproudparentsbroughtitintothehouse.Youshouldhaveheardtheohsand
ahsofmyshipmateswhentheysawthevideosofthemswimmingtogether,andChris
ridingonitsback.TheysuggestwecallitSputnik,whichmeanscompanionaswellas
satellite.
'Sorryit'sbeenquiteawhilesincemylastmessage,butthenewscastswillhavegiven
youanideaofthehugejobwe'vehadtodo.EvenCaptainTanya'sgivenupallpretence
ofaregularscheduleeachproblemhastobefixedasitcomesalong,bywhoeverison
thespot.Wesleepwhenwecan'tstayawakeanylonger.
'Ithinkwecanallbeproudofwhatwe'vedone.Bothshipsareoperationalandwe've
nearlyfinishedourfirstroundoftestsonHal.Inacoupleofdayswe'llknowifwecantrust
himtoflyDiscoverywhenweleaveheretomakeourfinalrendezvouswithBigBrother.
'Idon'tknowwhofirstgaveitthatnametheRussians,understandably,aren'tkeenon
it.Andthey'vewaxedquitesarcasticaboutourofficialdesignationTMA2,pointingoutto
meseveraltimesthatit'sthebestpartofabillionkilometresfromTycho.Alsothat
Bowmanreportednomagneticanomaly,andthattheonlyresemblancetoTMA1isthe
shape.WhenIaskedthemwhatnametheypreferred,theycameupwithZagadka,which
meansenigma.It'scertainlyanexcellentnamebuteveryonesmileswhenItryto
pronounceit,soI'llsticktoBigBrother.
'Whateveryoucallthething,it'sonlytenthousandkilometresawaynow,andthetrip
won'ttakemorethanafewhours.Butthatlastlaphasusallnervous,Idon'tmindtelling
you.
'We'dhopedthatwemightfindsomenewinformationaboardDiscovery.That'sbeen
ouronlydisappointment,thoughweshouldhaveexpectedit.Hal,ofcourse,was
disconnectedlongbeforetheencounter,andsohasnomemoriesofwhathappened
Bowmanhastakenallhissecretswithhim.There'snothingintheship'slogandautomatic
recordingsystemsthatwedidn'talreadyknow.
'TheonlynewitemwediscoveredwaspurelypersonalamessagethatBowmanhad
leftforhismother.Iwonderwhyheneversentitobviously,hedidexpectorhopeto
returntotheshipafterthatlastEVA.Ofcourse,we'vehaditforwardedtoMrsBowman
she'sinanursinghome,somewhereinFlorida,andhermentalconditionispoor,soitmay
notmeananythingtoher.

'Well,that'sallthenewsthistime.Ican'ttellyouhowmuchImissyou...andtheblue
skiesandgreenseasofEarth.Allthecolourshereareredsandorangesandyellows
oftenasbeautifulasthemostfantasticsunset,butafterawhileonegrowssickforthe
cool,pureraysattheotherendofthespectrum.
'MylovetoyoubothI'llcallagainjustassoonasIcan.'

23
Rendezvous

NikolaiTemovsky,Leonov'scontrolandcyberneticsexpert,wastheonlymanaboard
whocouldtalktoDrChandraonsomethinglikehisownterms.AlthoughHal'sprincipal
creatorandmentorwasreluctanttoadmitanyoneintohisfullconfidence,sheerphysical
exhaustionhadforcedhimtoaccepthelp.RussianandIndoAmericanhadformeda
temporaryalliance,whichfunctionedsurprisinglywell.Mostofthecreditforthiswentto
thegoodnaturedNikolai,whowassomehowabletosensewhenChandrareallyneeded
him,andwhenhepreferredtobealone.ThefactthatNikolai'sEnglishwasmuchthe
worstontheshipwastotallyunimportant,sincemostofthetimebothmenspokea
computeresewhollyunintelligibletoanyoneelse.
Afteraweek'sslowandcarefulreintegration,allofHal'sroutine,supervisoryfunctions
wereoperatingreliably.Hewaslikeamanwhocouldwalk,carryoutsimpleorders,do
unskilledjobs,andengageinlowlevelconversation.Inhumanterms,hehadan
IntelligenceQuotientofperhaps50onlythefaintestoutlinesofhisoriginalpersonality
hadyetemerged.
Hewasstillsleepwalkingnevertheless,inChandra'sexpertopinion,hewasnowquite
capableofflyingDiscoveryfromitscloseorbitaroundIouptotherendezvouswithBig
Brother.
Theprospectofgettinganextraseventhousandkilometresawayfromtheburninghell
beneaththemwaswelcomedbyeveryone.Trivialthoughthatdistancewasin
astronomicalterms,itmeantthattheskywouldnolongetbedominatedbyalandscape
thatmighthavebeenimaginedbyDanteorHieronymusBosch.Andalthoughnoteven
themostviolenteruptionshadblastedanymaterialuptotheships,therewasalwaysthe
fearthatIomightattempttosetanewrecord.Asitwas,visibilityfromLeonov's
observationdeckwassteadilydegradedbyathinfilmofsulphur,andsoonerorlater
someonewouldhavetogooutandcleanitoff.
OnlyCurnowandChandrawereaboardDiscoverywhenHalwasgiventhefirstcontrol
oftheship.Itwasaverylimitedformofcontrolhewasmerelyrepeatingtheprogramthat

hadbeenfedintohismemory,andmonitoringitsexecution.Andthehumancrewwas
monitoringhim:ifanymalfunctionoccurred,theywouldtakeoverimmediately.
ThefirstburnlastedfortenminutesthenHalreportedthatDiscoveryhadenteredthe
transferorbit.AssoonasLeonov'sradarandopticaltrackingconfirmedthat,theother
shipinjecteditselfintothesametrajectory.Twominorincoursecorrectionsweremade
then,threehoursandfifteenminuteslater,botharriveduneventfullyatthefirstLagrange
point,L.110,500kilometresup,ontheinvisiblelineconnectingthecentresofIoand
Jupiter.
Halhadbehavedimpeccably,andChandrashowedunmistakabletracesofsuchpurely
humanemotionsassatisfactionandevenjoy.Butbythattime,everyone'sthoughtswere
elsewhereBigBrother,aliasZagadka,wasonlyahundredkilometresaway.
Evenfromthatdistance,italreadyappearedlargerthantheMoonasseenfromEarth,
andshockinglyunnaturalinitsstraightedged,geometricalperfection.Againstthe
backgroundofspaceitwouldhavebeencompletelyinvisible,butthescuddingJovian
clouds350,000kilometresbelowshoweditupindramaticrelief.Theyalsoproducedan
illusionthat,onceexperienced,themindfoundalmostimpossibletorefute.Becausethere
wasnowayinwhichitsreallocationcouldbejudgedbytheeye,BigBrotheroftenlooked
likeayawningtrapdoorsetinthefaceofJupiter.
Therewasnoreasontosupposethatahundredkilometreswouldbe'saferthanten,or
moredangerousthanathousanditmerelyseemedpsychologicallyrightforafirst
reconnaissance.Fromthatdistance,theship'stelescopescouldhaverevealeddetails
onlycentimetresacrossbuttherewerenonetobeseen.BigBrotherappeared
completelyfeaturelesswhich,foranobjectthathad,presumably,survivedmillionsof
yearsofbombardmentbyspacedebris,wasincredible.
WhenFloydstaredthroughthebinoculareyepiece,itseemedtohimthathecould
reachoutandtouchthosesmooth,ebonsurfacesjustashehaddoneontheMoon,
yearsago.Thatfirsttime,ithadbeenwiththeglovedhandofhisspacesuit.Notuntilthe
Tychomonolithhadbeenenclosedinapressurizeddomehadhebeenabletousehis
nakedhand.
ThathadmadenodifferencehedidnotfeelthathehadeverreallytouchedTMA1.
Thetipsofhisfingershadseemedtoskitteroveraninvisiblebarrier,andtheharderhe
pushed,thegreatertherepulsiongrew.HewonderedifBigBrotherwouldproducethe
sameeffect.
Yetbeforetheycamethatclose,theyhadtomakeeverytesttheycoulddeviseand
reporttheirobservationstoEarth.Theywereinmuchthesamepositionasexplosives
expertstryingtodefuseanewtypeofbomb,whichmightbedetonatedbytheslightest
falsemove.Forallthattheycouldtell,eventhemostdelicateofradarprobesmighttrigger
someunimaginablecatastrophe.

Forthefirsttwentyfourhours,theydidnothingexceptobservewithpassive
instrumentstelescopes,cameras,sensorsoneverywavelength.VasiliOrlovalsotook
theopportunityofmeasuringtheslab'sdimensionswiththegreatestpossibleprecision,
andconfirmedthefamous1:4:9ratiotosixdecimalplaces.BigBrotherwasexactlythe
sameshapeasTMA1butasitwasmorethantwokilometreslong,itwas718times
largerthanitssmallsibling.
Andtherewasasecondmathematicalmystery.Menhadbeenarguingforyearsover
that1:4:9ratiothesquaresofthefirstthreeintegers.Thatcouldnotpossiblybea
coincidencenowherewasanothernumbertoconjurewith.
BackonEarth,statisticiansandmathematicalphysicistsweresoonplayinghappilywith
theircomputers,tryingtorelatetheratiotothefundamentalconstantsofnaturethe
velocityoflight,theproton/electronmassratio,thefinestructureconstant.Theywere
quicklyjoinedbyagaggleofnumerologists,astrologers,andmystics,whothrewinthe
heightoftheGreatPyramid,thediameterofStonehenge,theazimuthbearingsofthe
Nazcalines,thelatitudeofEasterIsland,andahostofotherfactorsfromwhichtheywere
abletodrawthemostamazingconclusionsaboutthefuture.Theywerenotintheleast
deterredwhenacelebratedWashingtonhumoristclaimedthathiscalculationsprovedthat
theworldendedon31December1999butthateveryonehadhadtoomuchofa
hangovertonotice.
NordidBigBrotherappeartonoticethetwoshipsthathadarrivedinitsvicinityeven
whentheycautiouslyprobeditwithradarbeamsandbombardeditwithstringsofradio
pulseswhich,itwashoped,wouldencourageanyintelligentlistenertoanswerinthe
samefashion.
Aftertwofrustratingdays,withtheapprovalofMissionControl,theshipshalvedtheir
distance.Fromfiftykilometres,thelargestfaceoftheslabappearedaboutfourtimesthe
widthoftheMooninEarth'sskyimpressive,butnotsolargeastobepsychologically
overwhelming.ItcouldnotyetcompetewithJupiter,tentimeslargerstillandalreadythe
moodoftheexpeditionwaschangingfromawedalertnesstoacertainimpatience.
WalterCurnowspokeforalmosteveryone:'BigBrothermaybewillingtowaitafew
millionyearswe'dliketogetawayalittlesooner.'

24
Reconnaissance

DiscoveryhadleftEarthwiththreeofthelittlespacepodsthatallowedanastronautto
performextravehicularactivitiesinshirtsleevecomfort.Onehadbeenlostintheaccident

ifitwasanaccidentthathadkilledFrankPoole.AnotherhadcarriedDaveBowmanto
hisfinalappointmentwithBigBrother,andsharedwhateverfatebefellhim,Athirdwas
stillintheship'sgarage,thePodBay.
Itlackedoneimportantcomponentthehatch,blownoffbyCommanderBowmanwhen
hehadmadehishazardousvacuumcrossingandenteredtheshipthroughthe
emergencyairlock,afterHalhadrefusedtoopenthePodBaydoor.Theresultingblastof
airhadrocketedthepodseveralhundredkilometresawaybeforeBowman,busywith
moreimportantmatters,hadbroughtitbackunderradiocontrol.Itwasnotsurprisingthat
hehadneverbotheredtoreplacethemissinghatch.
NowPodNumber3(onwhichMax,refusingallexplanations,hadstencilledthename
Nina)wasbeingpreparedforanotherEVA.Itstilllackedahatch,butthatwas
unimportant.Noonewouldberidinginside.
Bowman'sdevotiontodutywasapieceofunexpectedluck,anditwouldhavebeen
follynottotakeadvantageofit.ByusingNinaasarobotprobe,BigBrothercouldbe
examinedatclosequarterswithoutriskinghumanlives.Thatatleastwasthetheoryno
onecouldruleoutthepossibilityofabacklashthatmightengulftheship.Afterall,fifty
kilometreswasnotevenahair'sbreadth,ascosmicdistanceswent.
Afteryearsofneglect,Ninalookeddistinctlyshabby.Thedustthatwasalwaysfloating
aroundinzerogeehadsettledovertheoutersurface,sothattheonceimmaculatelywhite
hullhadbecomeadingygrey.Asitslowlyacceleratedawayfromtheship,itsexternal
manipulatorsfoldedneatlybackanditsovalviewportstaringspacewardlikeahuge,dead
eye,itdidnotseemaveryimpressiveambassadorofMankind.Butthatwasadistinct
advantagesohumbleanemissarymightbetolerated,anditssmallsizeandlowvelocity
shouldemphasizeitspeacefulintentions.Therehadbeenasuggestionthatitshould
approachBigBrotherwithopenhandstheideawasquicklyturneddownwhenalmost
everyoneagreedthatiftheysawNinaheadingtowardthem,mechanicalclaws
outstretched,theywouldrunfortheirlives.
Afteraleisurelytwohourtrip,Ninacametorestahundredmetresfromonecornerof
thehugerectangularslab.Fromsocloseathand,therewasnosenseofitstrueshape
theTVcamerasmighthavebeenlookingdownonthetipofablacktetrahedronof
indefinitesize.Theonboardinstrumentsshowednosignofradioactivityormagnetic
fieldsnothingwhatsoeverwascomingfromBigBrotherexceptthetinyfractionofsunlight
itcondescendedtoreflect.
Afterfiveminutes'pausetheequivalent,itwasintended,of'Hello,hereIam!'Nina
startedadiagonalcrossingofthesmallerface,thenthenextlarger,andfinallythelargest,
keepingatadistanceofaboutfiftymetres,butoccasionallycomingintofive.Whatever
theseparation,BigBrotherlookedexactlythesamesmoothandfeatureless.Long
beforethemissionwascompleted,ithadbecomeboring,andthespectatorsonboth
shipshadgonebacktotheirvariousjobs,onlyglancingatthemonitorsfromtimetotime.

'That'sit,'saidWalterCurnowatlast,whenNinahadarrivedbackwhereshehad
started.'Wecouldspendtherestofourlivesdoingthis,withoutlearninganythingmore.
WhatdoIdowithNinabringherhome?'
'No,'saidVasili,breakingintothecircuitfromaboardLeonov.'I'veasuggestion.Take
hertotheexactcentreofthebigface.Bringhertorestoh,ahundredmetresaway.And
leaveherparkedthere,withtheradarswitchedtomaximumprecision.'
'Noproblem exceptthatthere'sboundtobesomeresidualdrift.Butwhat'sthepoint?'
'I'vejustrememberedanexercisefromoneofmycollegeastronomycoursesthe
gravitationalattractionofaninfiniteflatplate.IneverthoughtI'dhaveachanceofusingit
inreallife.AfterI'vestudiedNina'smovementsforafewhours,atleastI'llbeableto
calculateZagadka'smass,Thatis,ifithasany.I'mbeginningtothinkthere'snothing
reallythere.'
'There'saneasywaytosettlethat,andwe'llhavetodoiteventually.Ninamustgoin
andtouchthething.'
'Shealreadyhas.'
'Whatdoyoumean?'askedCurnow,ratherindignantly.'Inevergotnearerthanfive
metres.'
'I'mnotcriticizingyourdrivingskillsthoughitwasaprettyclosethingatthatfirst
corner,wasn'tit?Butyou'vebeentappinggentlyonZagadkaeverytimeyouuseNina's
thrustersnearitssurface.'
'Afleajumpingonanelephant!'
'Perhaps.Wesimplydon'tknow.Butwe'dbetterassumethat,onewayoranother,it's
awareofourpresence,andwillonlytolerateusaslongaswearen'tanuisance.'
Helefttheunspokenquestionhangingintheair.Howdidoneannoyatwokilometre
longblackrectangularslab?Andjustwhatformwoulditsdisapprovaltake?

25
TheViewfromLagrange

Astronomywasfullofsuchintriguingbutmeaninglesscoincidences.Themostfamous
wasthefactthat,fromtheEarth,bothSunandMoonhavethesameapparentdiameter.

HereattheL.1librationpoint,whichBigBrotherhadchosenforitscosmicbalancingact
onthegravitationaltightropebetweenJupiterandIo,asimilarphenomenonoccurred.
Planetandsatelliteappearedexactlythesamesize.
Andwhatasize!NotthemiserablehalfdegreeofSunandMoon,butfortytimestheir
diametersixteenhundredtimestheirarea.'Thesightofeitherwasenoughtofillthemind
withaweandwondertogether,thespectaclewasoverwhelming.
Everyfortytwohours,theywouldgothroughtheircompletecycleofphaseswhenIo
wasnew,Jupiterwasfull,andviceversa.ButevenwhentheSunwashidingbehind
Jupiterandtheplanetpresentedonlyitsnightside,itwasunmistakablythereahuge
blackdiskeclipsingthestars.Sometimesthatblacknesswouldbemomentarilyrentby
lightningflasheslastingformanyseconds,fromelectricalstormsfarlargerthantheEarth.
Ontheoppositesideofthesky,alwayskeepingthesamefacetowarditsgiantmaster,
Iowouldbeasluggishlyboilingcauldronofredsandoranges,withoccasionalyellow
cloudseruptingfromoneofitsvolcanoes,andfallingswiftlybacktothesurface.Like
Jupiter,butonaslightlylongertimescale,Iowasaworldwithoutgeography.Itsfacewas
remodelledinamatterofdecadesJupiter's,inamatterofdays.
AsIowanedtowarditslastquarter,sothevast,intricatelybandedJoviancloudscape
wouldlightupbeneaththetiny,distantsun.SometimestheshadowofIoitself,oroneof
theoutersatellites,woulddriftacrossthefaceofJupiterwhileeveryrevolutionwould
showtheplanetsizedvortexoftheGreatRedSpotahurricanethathadenduredfor
centuriesifnotformillennia.
Poisedbetweensuchwonders,thecrewofLeonovhadmaterialforlifetimesof
researchbutthenaturalobjectsoftheJoviansystemwereattheverybottomoftheirlist
ofpriorities.BigBrotherwasNumber1thoughtheshipshadnowmovedintoonlyfive
kilometres,Tanyastillrefusedtoallowanydirectphysicalcontact.'I'mgoingtowait,'she
said,'untilwe'reinapositiontomakeaquickgetaway.We'llsitandwatchuntilour
launchwindowopens.Thenwe'llconsiderournextmove.'
ItwastruethatNinahadfinallygroundedonBigBrother,afteraleisurelyfiftyminute
fall.ThishadallowedVasilitocalculatetheobject'smassasasurprisinglylow950,000
tons,whichgaveitaboutthedensityofair.Presumablyitwashollowwhichprovoked
endlessspeculationaboutwhatmightbeinside.
Buttherewereplentyofpractical,everydayproblemstotaketheirmindsoffthese
greaterissues.HousekeepingchoresaboardLeonovandDiscoveryabsorbedninetyper
centoftheirworkingtime,thoughoperations'weremuchmoreefficientsincethetwo
shipshadbeencoupledbyaflexibledockingconnection.Curnowhadfinallyconvinced
TanyathatDiscovery'scarouselwouldnotsuddenlyseizeupandteartheshipstopieces,
soithadbecomepossibletomovefreelyfromonevesseltotheothermerelybyopening
andclosingtwosetsofairtightdoors.SpacesuitsandtimeconsumingEVAswereno

longernecessarytothegreatdelightofeveryoneexceptMax,wholovedgoingoutside
andexercisingwithhisbroomstick.
ThetwocrewmembersquiteunaffectedbythiswereChandraandTernovsky,whonow
virtuallylivedaboardDiscoveryandworkedaroundtheclock,continuingtheirapparently
endlessdialoguewithHal.'Whenwillyoubeready?'theywereaskedatleastonceaday.
TheyrefusedtomakeanypromisesHalremainedalowgrademoron.
Then,aweekaftertherendezvouswithBigBrother,Chandraunexpectedlyannounced:
'We'reready.'
OnlythetwoladymedicswereabsentfromDiscovery'sflightdeck,andthatwasmerely
becausetherewasnoroomforthemtheywerewatchingonLeonov'smonitors.Floyd
stoodimmediatelybehindChandra,hishandneverfarfromwhatCurnow,withhisusual
giftfortheneatphrase,hadcalledhispocketgiantkiller.
'Letmeemphasizeagain,'saidChandra,'thattheremustbenotalking.Youraccents
willconfusehimIcanspeak,butnooneelse.Isthatunderstood?'
Chandralooked,andsounded,attheedgeofexhaustion.Yethisvoiceheldanoteof
authoritythatnoonehadeverheardbefore.Tanyamightbethebosseverywhereelse,
buthewasmasterthere.
Theaudiencesomeanchoredtoconvenienthandholds,somefloatingfreelynodded
assent.Chandraclosedanaudioswitchandsaid,quietlybutclearly:'Goodmorning,Hal.'
Aninstantlater,itseemedtoFloydthattheyearshadrolledaway.Itwasnolongera
simpleelectronictoythatansweredback.Halhadreturned.
'Goodmorning,DrChandra.'
'Doyoufeelcapableofresumingyourduties?'
'Ofcourse.Iamcompletelyoperationalandallmycircuitsarefunctioningperfectly.'
'ThendoyoumindifIaskyouafewquestions?'
'Notatall.'
'DoyourecallafailureoftheAE35antennacontrolunit?'
'Certainlynot.'
DespiteChandra'sinjunction,therewasalittlegaspfromthelisteners.Thisislike
tiptoeingthroughaminefield,thoughtFloyd,ashepattedthereassuringshapeofthe
radiocutoff.Ifthatlineofquestioningtriggeredanotherpsychosis,hecouldkillHalina

second.(Heknew,havingrehearsedtheprocedureadozentimes.)Butasecondwas
aeonstoacomputerthatwasachancetheywouldhavetotake.
'YoudonotremembereitherDaveBowmanorFrankPoolegoingouttoreplacetheAE
35unit?'
'No.Thatcouldnothavehappened,orIwouldhaverememberedit.WhereareFrank
andDave?Whoarethesepeople?IcanonlyidentifyyouthoughIcomputeasixtyfive
percentprobabilitythatthemanbehindyouisDrHeywoodFloyd.'
RememberingChandra'sstrictinjunction,FloydrefrainedfromcongratulatingHal.After
adecade,sixtyfivepercentwasaprettygoodscore.Manyhumanswouldnothavedone
sowell.
'Don'tworry,HalIwillexplaineverythinglater.'
'Hasthemissionbeencompleted?YouknowIhavethegreatestenthusiasmforit.'
'Themissionhasbeencompletedyouhavecarriedoutyourprogram.Nowifyouwill
excuseuswewishtohaveaprivateconversation.'
'Certainly.'
Chandraswitchedoffsoundandvisioninputstothemainconsole.Asfarasthispartof
theshipwasconcerned,Halwasnowdeafandblind.
'Well,whatwasallthatabout?'demandedVasiliOrlov.
'Itmeans,'saidChandra,carefullyandprecisely,'thatIhaveerasedallHal'smemories,
beginningatthemomentwhenthetroublestarted.'
'Thatsoundsquiteafeat,'marvelledSasha.'Howdidyoudoit?'
'Iamafraiditwouldtakemelongertoexplainthanitdidtocarryouttheoperation.'
'Chandra,IamacomputerexpertthoughnotinthesameclassasyouandNikolai.
The9000seriesusesholographicmemories,doesn'tit?Soyoucouldn'thaveuseda
simplechronologicalerasure.Itmusthavebeensomekindoftapeworm,homingon
selectedwordsandconcepts?'
'Tapeworm?'saidKaterinaovertheship'sintercom.'Ithoughtthatwasmydepartment
thoughI'mgladtosayI'veneverseenoneofthebeastlythingsoutsideajarofalcohol.
Whatareyoutalkingabout?'
'Computerjargon,Katerina.Intheolddaystheveryolddaystheyreallydiduse
magnetictape.Andit'spossibletoconstructaprogramthatcanbefedintoasystemto

huntdownanddestroyeat,ifyoulikeanydesiredmemories.'Can'tyoudothesame
sortofthingtohumanbeings,byhypnosis?'
'Yes,butitcanalwaysbereversed.Weneverreallyforgetanything.Weonlythinkwe
do.'
'Acomputerdoesn'tworkthatway.Whenit'stoldtoforgetsomething,itdoes.The
informationiscompletelyerased.'
'SoHalhasabsolutelynomemoryofhis...misbehaviour?'
'Icannotbeahundredpercentcertainofthat,'answeredChandra.'Theremaybe
somememoriesthatwereintransitfromoneaddresstoanotherwhenthe...tapeworm
wasmakingitssearch.Butthisisveryunlikely.'
'Fascinating,'saidTanya,aftereveryonehadthoughtthisoverinsilenceforsometime.
'Butthemuchmoreimportantquestionis:Canheberelieduponinfuture?'
BeforeChandracouldanswer,Floydanticipatedhim.
'ThesamesetofcircumstancescanneverariseagainIcanpromiseyouthat.The
wholetroublestartedbecauseit'sdifficulttoexplainSecuritytoacomputer.'
'Ortohumanbeings,'mutteredCurnow,notverysottovoce.
'Ihopeyou'reright,'saidTanya,withoutmuchconviction.'What'sthenextstep,
Chandra?'
'Nothingsotrickymerelylongandtedious.Nowwehavetoprogramhimtoinitiatethe
JupiterescapesequenceandtobringDiscoveryhome.Threeyearsafterwe'vegotback
onourhighspeedorbit.'

26
Probation

To:VictorMillson,Chairman,NationalCouncilonAstronautics,Washington
From:HeywoodFloyd,aboardUSSCDiscovery
Subject:MalfunctionofonboardcomputerHAL9000

Classification:SECRET

DrChandrasegarampillai(hereinafterreferredtoasDrC.)hasnowcompletedhis
preliminaryexaminationofHal.Hehasrestoredallmissingmodulesandthecomputer
appearstobefullyoperational.DetailsofDrC.'sactionsandconclusionswillbefoundin
thereportheandDrTernovskywillsubmitshortly.
Meanwhileyouhaveaskedmetosummarizetheminnontechnicaltermsforthe
benefitoftheCouncilespeciallythenewmemberswhowillnotbefamiliarwiththe
background.Frankly,Idoubtmyabilitytodothisasyouknow,Iamnotacomputer
specialist.ButIwilldomybest.
TheproblemwasapparentlycausedbyaconflictbetweenHal'sbasicinstructionsand
therequirementsofSecurity.BydirectPresidentialorder,theexistenceofTMA1was
keptacompletesecret.Onlythosewithaneedtoknowwerepermittedaccesstothe
information.
Discovery'smissiontoJupiterwasalreadyintheadvancedplanningstagewhenTMA1
wasexcavated,andradiateditssignaltothatplanet.Asthefunctionoftheprimecrew
(Bowman.Poole)wasmerelytogetthevesseltoitsdestination,itwasdecidedthatthey
shouldnotbeinformedofitsnewobjective.Bytrainingtheinvestigativeteam(Kaminski,
Hunter,Whitehead)separately,andplacingtheminhibernationbeforethevoyagebegan,
itwasfeltthatamuchhigherdegreeofsecuritywouldbeattained,asthedangerofleaks
(accidentalorotherwise)wouldbegreatlyreduced.
Iwouldliketoremindyouthat,atthetime(mymemorandumNCA342/23/TOP
SECRETof01.04.03)Ipointedoutseveralobjectionstothispolicy.However,theywere
overruledatahigherlevel.
AsHalwascapableofoperatingtheshipwithouthumanassistance,itwasalso
decidedthatheshouldbeprogrammedtocarryoutthemissionautonomouslyintheevent
ofthecrew'sbeingincapacitatedorkilled.Hewasthereforegivenfullknowledgeofits
objectives,butwasnotpermittedtorevealthemtoBowmanorPoole.
ThissituationconflictedwiththepurposeforwhichHalhadbeendesignedthe
accurateprocessingofinformationwithoutdistortionorconcealment.Asaresult,Hal
developedwhatwouldbecalled,inhumanterms,apsychosisspecifically,
schizophrenia.DrC.informsmethat,intechnicalterminology,Halbecametrappedina
HofstadterMoebiusloop,asituationapparentlynotuncommonamongadvanced
computerswithautonomousgoalseekingprograms.Hesuggeststhatforfurther
informationyoucontactProfessorHofstadterhimself.
Toputitcrudely(ifIunderstandDrC.)Halwasfacedwithanintolerabledilemma,and
sodevelopedparanoiacsymptomsthatweredirectedagainstthosemonitoringhis

performancebackonEarth.HeaccordinglyattemptedtobreaktheradiolinkwithMission
Control,firstbyreportinga(nonexistent)faultintheAE35antennaunit.
Thisinvolvedhimnotonlyinadirectliewhichmusthaveaggravatedhispsychosis
stillfurtherbutalsoinaconfrontationwiththecrew.Presumably(wecanonlyguessat
this,ofcourse)hedecidedthattheonlywayoutofthesituationwastoeliminatehis
humancolleagueswhichheverynearlysucceededindoing.Lookingatthematterpurely
objectively,itwouldhavebeeninterestingtoseewhatwouldhavehappenedhadhe
continuedthemissionalone,withoutmanmade'interference'.
ThisisvirtuallyallIhavebeenabletolearnfromDrC.Idonotliketoquestionhim
further,asheisworkingtothepointofexhaustion.Butevenallowingforthisfact,Imust
franklystate(andpleasekeepthisabsolutelyconfidential)thatDrC.isnotalwaysas
cooperativeasheshouldbe.HeadoptsadefensiveattitudetowardHal,whichsometimes
makesitextremelydifficulttodiscussthesubject.EvenDrTernovsky,whomighthave
beenexpectedtobealittlemoreindependent,oftenappearstosharethisviewpoint.
However,theonlyreallyimportantquestionis:CanHalberelieduponinthefuture?Dr
C.,ofcourse,hasnodoubtsonthematter.Heclaimstohaveobliteratedallthe
computer'smemoriesofthetraumaticeventsleadinguptothedisconnection.Nordoeshe
believethatHalcansufferfromanythingremotelyanalogoustothehumansenseofguilt.
Inanycase,itseemsimpossiblethatthesituationthatcausedtheoriginalproblemcan
everariseagain.AlthoughHalsuffersfromanumberofpeculiarities,theyarenotofa
naturethatwouldcauseanyapprehensiontheyaremerelyminorannoyances,someof
themevenamusing.AndasyouknowbutDrC.doesnotIhavetakenstepsthatwill
giveuscompletecontrolasalastresort.
Tosumup:TherehabilitationofHAL9000isproceedingsatisfactorily.Onemighteven
saythatheisonprobation.
Iwonderifheknowsit.

27
Interlude:TrueConfessions

Thehumanmindhasanastonishingcapacitytoadaptafterawhile,eventheincredible
becomescommonplace.ThereweretimeswhenthecrewofLeonovswitchedofftheir
surroundings,perhapsinanunconsciousmovetopreservesanity.

DrHeywoodFloydoftenthoughtthat,onsuchoccasions,WalterCurnowworkedalittle
toohardatbeingthelifeandsouloftheparty.AndthoughhetriggeredwhatSasha
Kovalevlatercalledthe'TrueConfessions'episode,hecertainlyhadnotplannedanything
ofthesort.Itarosespontaneouslywhenhevoicedtheuniversaldissatisfactionwith
almostallaspectsofzerogravityplumbing.
'IfIcouldhaveonewishgranted,'heexclaimedduringthedailySixO'ClockSoviet,'it
wouldbetosoakinanicefoamingbathtub,scentedwithessenceofpineandwithjustmy
noseabovethewaterline.'
Whenthemurmursofassentandsighsoffrustrateddesirehaddiedaway,Katerina
Rudenkotookupthechallenge.
'Howsplendidlydecadent,Walter,'shebeamedathimwithcheerfuldisapproval.'It
makesyousoundlikeaRomanemperor.IfIwerebackonEarth,I'dlikesomethingmore
active.'
'Suchas?'
'Umm...AmIallowedtogobackintimeaswell?'
'Ifyoulike.'
'WhenIwasagirl,IusedtogoforholidaystoacollectivefarminGeorgia.Therewasa
beautifulpalominostallion,boughtbythedirectoroutofthemoneyhe'dmadeonthelocal
blackmarket.Hewasanoldscoundrel,butIlovedhim andheusedtoletmegallop
Alexanderalloverthecountryside.Imighthavebeenkilledbutthat'sthememorythat
bringsEarthbacktome,morethananythingelse.'
TherewasamomentofthoughtfulsilencethenCurnowasked,'Anyothervolunteers?'
Everyoneseemedsolostintheirownmemoriesthatthegamemighthaveendedthere,
hadnotMaximBrailovskystarteditoffagain.
'I'dliketobedivingthatwasjustaboutmyfavouritehobby,whenIhadtimeforone
andIwasgladIcouldkeepitupthroughmycosmonauttraining.I'vedivedoffPacific
atolls,theGreatBarrierReef,theRedSeacoralreefsarethemostbeautifulplacesin
theworld.YettheexperienceIrememberbestwasinquiteadifferentplaceoneofthe
Japanesekelpforests.Itwaslikeanunderwatercathedral,withsunlightslantingthrough
thoseenormousleaves.Mysterious...magical.I'veneverbeenbackperhapsitwouldn't
bethesamethenexttime.ButI'dliketotry.'
'Fine,'saidWalter,whoasusualhadappointedhimselfmasterofceremonies.'Who's
next?'

'I'llgiveyouaquickanswer,'saidTanyaOrlova.'TheBolshoiSwanLake.ButVasili
won'tagree.Hehatesballet.'
'Thatmakestwoofus.Anyway,whatwouldyouselect,Vasili?'
'Iwasgoingtosaydiving,butMaxbeatmetoit.SoI'llgointheoppositedirection
gliding.Soaringthroughthecloudsonasummerday,incompletesilence.Well,notquite
completetheairflowoverthewingcangetnoisy,especiallywhenyou'rebanking.That's
thewaytoenjoyEarthlikeabird.'
'Zenia?'
'Easy.SkiinginthePamirs.Ilovesnow.'
'Andyou,Chandra?'
TheatmospherechangednoticeablywhenWalterputthequestion.Afterallthistime,
Chandrawasstillastrangerperfectlypolite,evencourteous,butneverrevealinghimself.
'WhenIwasaboy,'hesaidslowly,'mygrandfathertookmeonapilgrimagetoVaranasi
Benares.Ifyou'veneverbeenthere,I'mafraidyouwon'tunderstand.Tometomany
Indiansevennowadays,whatevertheirreligionit'sthecentreoftheworld.OnedayI
plantogoback.'
'Andyou,Nikolai?'
'Well,we'vehadtheseaandsky.I'dliketocombineboth.Myfavouritesportusedtobe
windsurfing.I'mafraidI'mtoooldforitnowbutI'dliketofindout.'
'Thatonlyleavesyou,Woody.What'syourchoice?'
Floyddidnotevenstoptothinkhisspontaneousanswersurprisedhimselfasmuchas
theothers.
'Idon'tmindwhereonEarthIam aslongasI'mwithmylittleson.'
Afterthat,therewasnomoretobesaid.Thesessionwasover.

28
Frustration

'You'veseenallthetechnicalreports,Dimitri,soyou'llunderstandourfrustration.We've
learnednothingnewfromallourtestsandmeasurements.Zagadkajustsitsthere,filling
halfthesky,ignoringuscompletely.
'Yetitcan'tbeinertanabandonedspacederelict.Vasilihaspointedoutthatitmustbe
takingsomepositiveaction,toremainhereattheunstablelibrationpoint.Otherwiseit
wouldhavedriftedawayagesago,justasDiscoverydid,andcrashedintoIo.
'Sowhatdowedonext?Wewouldn'thavenuclearexplosivesonboard,wouldwe,in
contraventionofUN'08,para3?I'monlyjoking.
'Nowthatwe'reunderlesspressure,andthelaunchwindowforthehomewardtripis
stillweeksaway,there'sadistinctfeelingofboredom,aswellasfrustration.Don'tlaughI
canimaginehowthatsoundstoyou,backinMoscow.Howcouldanyintelligentperson
getboredouthere,surroundedbythegreatestmarvelshumaneyeshaveeverseen?
'Yetthere'snodoubtofit.Moraleisn'twhatitwas.Untilnow,we'veallbeendisgustingly
healthy.Nowalmosteveryonehasaminorcold,oranupsetstomach,orascratchthat
won'thealdespiteallofKaterina'spillsandpowders.She'sgivenupnow,andjustswears
atus.
'Sashahashelpedtokeepusamusedwithaseriesofbulletinsontheship'sbulletin
board.Theirthemeis:STAMPOUTRUSSLISH!andhelistshorridmixturesofboth
languagesheclaimstohaveoverheard,wrongusesofwords,andsoforth.We'llallneed
linguisticdecontaminationwhenwegethomeseveraltimesI'vecomeacrossyour
countrymenchattinginEnglishwithoutevenbeingawareofit,lapsingintotheirnative
tongueonlyfordifficultwords.TheotherdayIcaughtmyselftalkingRussiantoWalter
Curnowandneitherofusnoticedforseveralminutes.
'Therewasonebitofunscheduledactivitytheotherdaythatwilltellyousomething
aboutourstateofmind.Thefirealarmwentoffinthemiddleofthenight,triggeredbyone
ofthesmokedetectors.
'Well,itturnedoutthatChandrahadsmuggledsomeofhislethalcigarsaboard,and
couldn'tresisttemptationanymore.Hewassmokingoneinthetoilet,likeaguilty
schoolboy.
'Ofcourse,hewashorriblyembarrassedeveryoneelsethoughtithystericallyfunny,
aftertheinitialpanic.Youknowthewaysomeperfectlytrivialjoke,whichdoesn'tmeana
thingtooutsiders,cansweepthroughagroupofotherwiseintelligentpeopleandreduce
themtohelplesslaughter.Onehadonlytopretendtolightacigarforthenextfewdays,
andeverybodywouldgotopieces.
'Whatmakesitevenmoreridiculousisthatnoonewouldhavemindedintheleastif
Chandrahadjustgoneintoanairlock,orswitchedoffthesmokedetector.Buthewastoo

shytoadmitthathehadsuchahumanweaknesssonowhespendsevenmoreofhis
timecommuningwithHal.'
FloydpressedthePAUSEbuttonandstoppedtherecording.Perhapsitwasnotfairto
makefunofChandra,temptingthoughitoftenwas.Allsortsoflittlequirksofpersonality
hadsurfacedduringthelastfewweekstherehadevenbeensomebadquarrels,forno
obviousreason.Andforthatmatter,whatofhisownbehaviour?Hadthatalwaysbeen
abovecriticism?
HewasstillnotsureifhehadhandledCurnowproperly.Thoughhedidnotsuppose
thathewouldeverreallylikethebigengineer,orenjoythesoundofhisslightlytooloud
voice,Floyd'sattitudetowardhimhadchangedfrommeretolerancetorespectful
admiration.TheRussiansadoredhim,notleastbecausehisrenderingofsuchfavourites
as'PolyushkoPolye'oftenreducedthemtotears.Andinonecase,Floydfeltthatthe
adorationhadgonealittletoofar.
'Walter,'hehadbeguncautiously,'I'mnotsureifit'smybusiness,butthere'sapersonal
matterI'dliketoraisewithyou...'
'Whensomeonesaysit'snothisbusiness,he'susuallyright.What'stheproblem?'
'Tobeblunt,yourbehaviourwithMax.'
Therewasafrigidsilence,whichFloydoccupiedwithacarefulinspectionofthepoor
paintjobontheoppositewall.ThenCurnowreplied,inasoftyetimplacablevoice:'Iwas
underthedistinctimpressionthathewasmorethaneighteen.'
'Don'tconfusetheissue.Andfrankly,it'snotMaxI'mconcernedabout.It'sZenia.'
Curnow'slipspartedinunconcealedsurprise.'Zenia?What'sshegottodowithit?'
'Foranintelligentman,you'reoftensingularlyunobservantevenobtuse.Surelyyou
realizethatshe'sinlovewithMax.Haven'tyounoticedthewayshelooks,whenyouput
yourarmaroundhim?'
FloydhadneverimaginedthathewouldseeCurnowlookingabashed,buttheblow
seemedtohavestruckhome.
'Zenia?Ithoughteveryonewasjokingshe'ssuchaquietlittlemouse.Andeveryone's
inlovewithMax,aftertheirfashionevenCatherinetheGreat.Still...um,IguessIshould
bemorecareful.AtleastwhileZenia'saround.'
Therewasaprolongedsilencewhilethesocialtemperaturerosebacktonormal.Then,
obviouslytoshowthattherewasnoillfeeling,Curnowaddedinaconversationaltone:
'Youknow,I'veoftenwonderedaboutZenia,Somebodydidamarvellousjobofplastic
surgeryonherface,buttheycouldn'trepairallthedamage.Theskin'stootight,andI

don'tthinkI'veeverseenherlaughproperly.Maybethat'swhyI'veavoidedlookingather
wouldyoucreditmewithsomuchaestheticsensitivity,Heywood?'
Thedeliberatelyformal'Heywood'signalledgoodnaturedneedlingratherthanhostility,
andFloydallowedhimselftorelax.
'Icansatisfysomeofyourcuriosity Washingtonfinallygotholdofthefacts.Itseems
shewasinabadaircrashandwasluckytorecoverfromherburns.There'snomystery,
asfaraswecantell,butAeroflotisn'tsupposedtohaveaccidents.'
'Poorgirl.I'msurprisedtheylethergointospace,butIsupposeshewastheonly
qualifiedpersonavailablewhenIrmaeliminatedherself.I'msorryforherapartfromthe
injuries,thepsychologicalshockmusthavebeenterrible.'
'I'msureitwasbutshe'sobviouslymadeafullrecovery.'You'renottellingthewhole
truth,saidFloydtohimself,andyouneverwill.Aftertheirencounterontheapproachto
Jupiter,therewouldalwaysbeasecretbondbetweenthem notoflove,butof
tenderness,whichisoftenmoreenduring.
HefoundhimselfsuddenlyandunexpectedlygratefultoCurnowtheotherwas
obviouslysurprisedathisconcernforZenia,buthadnotattemptedtoexploititinhisown
defence.
Andifhehad,wouldithavebeenunfair?Now,dayslater,Floydwasbeginningto
wonderifhisownmotiveswerealtogetheradmirable.Forhispart,Curnowhadcertainly
kepthispromiseindeed,ifonedidnotknowbetter,onemighthaveimaginedthathewas
deliberatelyignoringMaxatleastwhileZeniawasaround.Andhetreatedherwithmuch
greaterkindnessindeed,therewereoccasionswhenhehadevensucceededinmaking
herlaughoutloud.
Sotheinterventionhadbeenworthwhile,whatevertheimpulsebehindit.Evenif,as
Floydsometimesruefullysuspected,itwasnomorethanthesecretenvythatnormal
homoorheterosexualsfeel,ifcompletelyhonestwiththemselves,towardcheerfullywell
adjustedpolymorphs.
Hisfingercreptbacktowardtherecorder,butthetrainofthoughthadbeenbroken.
Inevitably,imagesofhisownhomeandfamilycamecrowdingintohismind,Heclosedhis
eyes,andmemoryrecalledtheclimaxofChristopher'sbirthdaypartythechildblowing
outthethreecandlesonthecake,lessthantwentyfourhoursagobutalmostabillion
kilometresaway.Hehadplayedthevideobacksooftenthatnowheknewthesceneby
heart.
AndhowoftenhadCarolineplayedhismessagestoChris,sothattheboywouldnot
forgethisfatherorviewhimasastrangerwhenhereturnedaftermissingyetanother
birthday?Hewasalmostafraidtoask.

YethecouldnotblameCaroline.Tohim,onlyafewweekswouldhavepassedbefore
theymetagain.Butshewouldhaveagedmorethantwoyearswhilehewasinhis
dreamlesssleepbetweentheworlds.Thatwasalongtimetobeayoungwidow,evena
temporaryone.
IwonderifI'mcomingdownwithoneoftheshipboardmaladies,Floydthoughthehad
seldomfeltsuchasenseoffrustration,evenoffailure.Imayhavelostmyfamily,across
thegulfsoftimeandspace,alltonopurpose.ForIhaveachievednothingeventhoughI
havereachedmygoal,itremainsablank,impenetrablewalloftotaldarkness.
AndyetDavidBowmanhadoncecried:'MyGod!It'sfullofstars!'

29
Emergence

Sasha'slatestedictread:

RUSSLISHBULLETIN#8

Subject:Tovanshch(tovarish)

ToourAmericanguests:
Frankly,pals,Ican'trememberwhenIwaslastaddressedbythisterm.Toanytwenty
firstcenturyRussian,it'swaybacktherewiththebattleshipPotemkinareminderofcloth
capsandredflagsandVladimirIlichharanguingtheworkersfromthestepsofrailway
carriages
EversinceIwasakidit'sbeenbratetsordruzhoktakeyourchoice,you'rewelcome.
ComradeKovalev

FloydwasstillchucklingoverthisnoticewhenVasiliOrlovjoinedhimashefloated
throughthelounge/observationdeckonhiswaytothebridge.
'Whatamazesme,tovarishch,isthatSashaeverfoundtimetostudyanythingbesides
engineeringphysics.Yethe'salwaysquotingpoemsandplaysIdon'tevenknow,andhe
speaksbetterEnglishthanwell,Walter.'
'Becauseheswitchedtoscience,Sashaiswhatdoyousaytheblacksheepofthe
family.HisfatherwasaprofessorofEnglishatNovosibirsk.Russianwasonlyallowedin
thehouseMondaytoWednesdayThursdaytoSaturdayitwasEnglish.'
'AndSundays?'
'Oh,FrenchorGerman,alternateweeks.'
'NowIknowexactlywhatyoumeanbynekulturnyfitsmelikeaglove.DoesSashafeel
guiltyabouthis...defection?Andwithsuchabackground,whydidheeverbecomean
engineer?'
'AtNovosibirsk,yousoonlearnwhoaretheserfsandwhoarethearistocrats.Sasha
wasanambitiousyoungman,aswellasabrilliantone.'
'Justlikeyou,Vasili.'
'Ettu,Brute!Yousee,IcanquoteShakespeareaswellBozhemoi!whatwasthat?'
Floydwasunluckyhewasfloatingwithhisbacktotheobservationwindow,andsaw
nothingatall.Whenhetwistedaround,secondslater,therewasonlythefamiliarviewof
BigBrother,bisectingthegiantdiskofJupiter,justasithaddoneeversincetheirarrival.
ButtoVasili,foramomentthatwouldbeimprintedonhismemoryforever,thatsharp
edgedoutlineheldacompletelydifferent,andwhollyimpossible,scene.Itwasasifa
windowhadsuddenlybeenopenedontoanotheruniverse.
Thevisionlastedforlessthanasecond,beforehisinvoluntaryblinkreflexcutitoff.He
waslookingintoafieldnotofstars,butofsuns,asifintothecrowdedheartofagalaxy,or
thecoreofaglobularcluster.Inthatmoment,VasiliOrlovlostforevertheskiesofEarth.
FromnowontheywouldseemintolerablyemptyevenmightyOrionandgloriousScorpio
wouldbescarcelynoticeablepatternsoffeeblesparks,notworthyofasecondglance.
Whenhedaredtoopenhiseyesagain,itwasallgone.Nonotcompletely.Atthevery
centreofthenowrestoredebonrectangle,afaintstarwasstillshining.
Butastardidnotmoveasonewatched.Orlovblinkedagain,toclearhiswateringeyes.
Yes,themovementwasrealhewasnotimaginingit.

Ameteor?ItwassomeindicationofChiefScientistVasiliOrlov'sstateofshockthat
severalsecondspassedbeforeherememberedthatmeteorswereimpossibleinairless
space.
Thenitblurredsuddenlyintoastreakoflight,andwithinafewheartbeatshadvanished
beyondtheedgeofJupiter.Bythistime,Vasilihadrecoveredhiswitsandwasoncemore
thecool,dispassionateobserver.
Alreadyhehadagoodestimateoftheobject'strajectory.Therecouldbenodoubtit
wasaimeddirectlyatEarth.

V
ACHILDOFTHESTARS

30
Homecoming

Itwasasifhehadawakenedfromadream oradreamwithinadream.Thegate
betweenthestarshadbroughthimbacktotheworldofmen,butnolongerasaman.
Howlonghadhebeenaway?Awholelifetime...no,twolifetimesoneforward,onein
reverse.
AsDavidBowman,commanderandlastsurvivingcrewmemberofUnitedStates
SpaceshipDiscovery,hehadbeencaughtinagigantictrap,setthreemillionyearsago
andtriggeredtorespondonlyattherighttime,andtotherightstimulus.Hehadfallen
throughit,fromoneuniversetoanother,meetingwonderssomeofwhichhenow
understood,otherswhichhemightnevercomprehend.
Hehadracedateveracceleratingspeed,downinfinitecorridorsoflight,untilhehad
outracedlightitself.That,heknew,wasimpossiblebutnowhealsoknewhowitcouldbe
done.AsEinsteinhadrightlysaid,theGoodLordwassubtle,butnevermalicious.
Hehadpassedthroughacosmicswitchingsystem aGrandCentralStationofthe
galaxiesandemerged,protectedfromitsfurybyunknownforces,closetothesurfaceof
agiantredstar.

Therehehadwitnessedtheparadoxofsunriseonthefaceofasun,whenthedying
star'sbrilliantwhitedwarfcompanionhadclimbedintoitsskyasearingapparition,
drawingatidalwaveoffirebeneathit.Hehadfeltnofear,butonlywonder,evenwhenhis
spacepodhadcarriedhimdownintotheinfernobelow...toarrive,beyondallreason,ina
beautifullyappointedhotelsuitecontainingnothingthatwasnotwhollyfamiliar.However,
muchofitwasfakethebooksontheshelvesweredummies,thecerealboxesandthe
cansofbeerintheiceboxthoughtheyborefamouslabelsallcontainedthesamebland
foodwithatexturelikebreadbutatastethatwasalmostanythinghecaredtoimagine.
Hehadquicklyrealizedthathewasaspecimeninacosmiczoo,hiscagecarefully
recreatedfromtheimagesinoldtelevisionprogrammes.Andhewonderedwhenhis
keeperswouldappear,andinwhatphysicalform.
Howfoolishthatexpectationhadbeen!Heknewnowthatonemightaswellhopeto
seethewind,orspeculateaboutthetrueshapeoffire.
Thenexhaustionofmindandbodyhadoverwhelmedhim.Forthelasttime,David
Bowmanslept.
Itwasastrangesleep,forhewasnotwhollyunconscious.Likeafogcreepingthrough
aforest,somethinginvadedhismind.Hesenseditonlydimly,forthefullimpactwould
havedestroyedhimasswiftlyandsurelyasthefiresragingaroundhim.Beneathits
dispassionatescrutiny,hefeltneitherhopenorfear.
Sometimes,inthatlongsleep,hedreamedhewasawake.Yearshadgonebyoncehe
waslookinginamirror,atawrinkledfacehebarelyrecognizedashisown.Hisbodywas
racingtoitsdissolution,thehandsofthebiologicalclockspinningmadlytowardamidnight
theywouldneverreach.Foratthelastmoment,Timecametoahaltandreverseditself.
Thespringsofmemorywerebeingtrapped:incontrolledrecollection,hewasreliving
hispast,beingdrainedofknowledgeandexperienceashesweptbacktowardhis
childhood.Butnothingwasbeinglost:allthathehadeverbeen,ateverymomentofhis
life,wasbeingtransferredtosaferkeeping.EvenasoneDavidBowmanceasedtoexist,
anotherbecameimmortal,passingbeyondthenecessitiesofmatter.
Hewasanembryogod,notyetreadytobeborn.Forageshefloatedinlimbo,knowing
whathehadbeen,butnotwhathehadbecome.Hewasstillinastateoffluxsomewhere
betweenchrysalisandbutterfly.Orperhapsonlybetweencaterpillarandchrysalis.
Andthen,thestasiswasbroken:Timereenteredhislittleworld.Theblack,rectangular
slabthatsuddenlyappearedbeforehimwaslikeanoldfriend.
HehadseenitontheMoonhehadencountereditinorbitaroundJupiterandhe
knew,somehow,thathisancestorshadmetitlongago.Thoughitheldstillunfathomed
secrets,itwasnolongeratotalmysterysomeofitspowershenowunderstood.

Herealizedthatitwasnotone,butmultitudesandthatwhatevermeasuring
instrumentsmightsay,itwasalwaysthesamesizeaslargeasnecessary.
Howobvious,now,wasthatmathematicalratioofitssides,thequadraticsequence
1:4:9!Andhownaivetohaveimaginedthattheseriesendedthere,inonlythree
dimensions!
Evenashismindfocuseduponthesegeometricalsimplicities,theemptyrectanglefilled
withstars.Thehotelsuiteifindeedithadeverreallyexisteddissolvedbackintothe
mindofitscreatorandtherebeforehimwastheluminouswhirlpooloftheGalaxy.
Itmighthavebeensomebeautiful,incrediblydetailedmodel,embeddedinablockof
plastic.Butitwasthereality,nowgraspedbyhimasawholewithsensesmoresubtle
thanvision.Ifhewished,hecouldfocushisattentionuponanyoneofitshundredbillion
stars.
Herehewas,adriftinthisgreatriverofsuns,halfwaybetweenthebankedfiresofthe
galacticcoreandthelonely,scatteredsentinelstarsoftherim.Andtherewashisorigin,
onthefarsideofthischasm inthesky,thisserpentinebandofdarkness,emptyofall
stars.Heknewthatthisformlesschaos,visibleonlybytheglowthatlimneditsedgesfrom
firemistsfarbeyond,wasthestillunusedstuffofcreation,therawmaterialofevolutions
yettobe.Here,Timehadnotyetbegunnotuntilthesunsthatnowburnedwerelong
sincedeadwouldlightandlifereshapethisvoid.
Unwittingly,hehadcrosseditonce:now,farbetterprepared,thoughstillwholly
ignorantoftheimpulsethatdrovehim,hemustcrossitagain.
TheGalaxyburstforthfromthementalframeinwhichhehadenclosedit:starsand
nebulaepouredpasthiminanillusionofinfinitespeed.Phantomsunsexplodedandfell
behindasheslippedlikeashadowthroughtheircores.
Thestarswerethinningout,theglareoftheMilkyWaydimmingintoapaleghostofthe
gloryhehadknownandmightonedayknowagain.Hewasbackinthespacethatmen
calledreal,attheverypointhehadleftit,secondsorcenturiesago.
Hewasvividlyawareofhissurroundings,andfarmoreconsciousthaninthatearlier
existenceofmyriadsensoryinputsfromtheexternalworld.Hecouldfocusuponanyone
ofthem,andscrutinizeitinvirtuallylimitlessdetail,untilheconfrontedthefundamental,
granularstructureoftimeandspace,belowwhichtherewasonlychaos.
Andhecouldmove,thoughhedidnotknowhow.Buthadheeverreallyknownthat,
evenwhenhepossessedabody?Thechainofcommandfrombraintolimbwasa
mysterytowhichhehadnevergivenanythought.
Aneffortofwill,andthespectrumofthatnearbystarshiftedtowardtheblue,by
preciselytheamounthewished.Hewasfallingtowarditatalargefractionofthespeedof

light:thoughhecouldgofasterifhedesired,hewasinnohurry.Therewasstillmuch
informationtobeprocessed,muchtobeconsidered...andmuchmoretobewon.That,he
knew,washispresentgoalbuthealsoknewthatitwasonlypartofsomefarwiderplan,
toberevealedinduecourse.
Hegavenothoughttothegatewaybetweenuniversesdwindlingsoswiftlybehindhim,
ortotheanxiousentitiesgatheredarounditintheirprimitivespacecraft.Theywerepartof
hismemoriesbutstrongeroneswerecallinghimnow,callinghimhometotheworldhe
hadneverthoughttoseeagain.
Hecouldhearitsmyriadvoices,growinglouderandlouderasittoowasgrowing,from
astaralmostlostagainsttheSun'soutstretchedcorona,toaslimcrescent,andfinallytoa
gloriousbluewhitedisk.
Theyknewthathewascoming.Downthereonthatcrowdedglobe,thealarmswould
beflashingacrosstheradarscreens,thegreattrackingtelescopeswouldbesearching
theskiesandhistoryasmenhadknownitwouldbedrawingtoaclose.
Hebecameawarethatathousandkilometresbelowaslumberingcargoofdeathhad
awakened,andwasstirringinitsorbit.Thefeebleenergiesitcontainedwerenopossible
menacetohimindeed,hecouldprofitablyusethem.
Heenteredthemazeofcircuitry,andswiftlytracedthewaytoitslethalcore.Mostof
thebranchingscouldbeignoredtheywereblindalleys,devisedforprotection.Beneath
hisscrutiny,theirpurposewaschildishlysimpleitwaseasytobypassthemall.
Nowtherewasasinglelastbarrieracrudebuteffectivemechanicalrelay,holding
aparttwocontacts.Untiltheywereclosed,therewouldbenopowertoactivatethefinal
sequence.
Heputforthhiswilland,forthefirsttime,knewfailureandfrustration.Thefewgrams
ofthemicroswitchwouldnotbudge.Hewasstillacreatureofpureenergyasyet,the
worldofinertmatterwasbeyondhisgrasp.Well,therewasasimpleanswertothat.
Hestillhadmuchtolearn.Thecurrentpulseheinducedintherelaywassopowerful
thatitalmostmeltedthecoil,beforeitcouldoperatethetriggermechanism.
Themicrosecondstickedslowlyby.Itwasinterestingtoobservetheexplosivelenses
focustheirenergies,likethefeeblematchthatignitesapowdertrain,whichinturn
Themegatonsfloweredinasilentdetonationthatbroughtabrief,falsedawntohalfthe
sleepingworld.Likeaphoenixrisingfromtheflames,heabsorbedwhatheneeded,and
discardedtherest.Farbelow,theshieldoftheatmosphere,whichprotectedtheplanet
fromsomanyhazards,absorbedthemostdangerousoftheradiation.Buttherewouldbe
someunluckymenandanimalswhowouldneverseeagain.

Intheaftermathoftheexplosion,itseemedasiftheEarthwasstruckdumb.The
babbleoftheshortandmediumwaveswascompletelysilenced,reflectedbackbythe
suddenlyenhancedionosphere.Onlythemicrowavesstillslicedthroughtheinvisibleand
slowlydissolvingmirrorthatnowsurroundedtheplanet,andmostoftheseweretootightly
beamedforhimtoreceivethem.Afewhighpoweredradarswerestillfocuseduponhim,
butthatwasamatterofnoimportance.Hedidnotevenbothertoneutralizethemashe
couldeasilyhavedone.Andifanymorebombsweretocomehisway,hewouldtreat
themwithequalindifference.Forthepresent,hehadalltheenergyheneeded.
Andnowhewasdescending,ingreatsweepingspirals,towardthelostlandscapeofhis
childhood.

31
Disneyville

Afindesieclephilosopherhadonceremarkedandbeenroundlydenouncedforhis
painsthatWalterEliasDisneyhadcontributedmoretogenuinehumanhappinessthan
allthereligiousteachersinhistory.Now,halfacenturyaftertheartist'sdeath,hisdreams
werestillproliferatingacrosstheFloridalandscape.
Whenithadopenedintheearly1980s,hisExperimentalPrototypeCommunityof
Tomorrowhadbeenashowcasefornewtechnologiesandmodesofliving.Butasits
founderhadrealized,EPCOTwouldonlyfulfilitspurposewhensomeofitsvastacreage
wasagenuine,livingtown,occupiedbypeoplewhocalledithome.Thatprocesshad
takentheremainderofthecenturynowtheresidentialareahadtwentythousand
inhabitantsandhad,inevitably,becomepopularlyknownasDisneyville.
BecausetheycouldmoveinonlyafterpenetratingapalaceguardofWEDlawyers,it
wasnotsurprisingthattheaverageageoftheoccupantswasthehighestinanyUnited
Statescommunity,orthatitsmedicalserviceswerethemostadvancedintheworld.
Someofthem,indeed,couldhardlyhavebeenconceived,stilllesscreated,inanyother
place.

Theapartmenthadbeencarefullydesignednottolooklikeahospitalsuite,andonlya
fewunusualfittingswouldhavebetrayeditspurpose.Thebedwasscarcelykneehigh,so
thatthedangeroffallswasminimized:itcould,however,beraisedandtiltedforthe
convenienceofthenurses.Thebathroomtubwassunkintothefloor,andhadabuiltin
seataswellashandrails,sothateventheelderlyorinfirmcouldgetinandoutofiteasily.
Thefloorwasthicklycarpeted,buttherewerenorugsoverwhichonecouldtrip,orsharp

cornersthatmightcauseinjuries.OtherdetailswerelessobviousandtheTVcamera
wassowellconcealedthatnoonewouldhavesuspecteditspresence.
Therewerefewpersonaltouchesapileofoldbooksinonecorner,andaframedfront
pageofoneofthelastprintedissuesoftheNewYorkTimesproclaiming:US
SPACESHIPLEAVESFORJUPITER.Closetothisweretwophotographs,oneshowinga
boyinhislateteenstheother,aconsiderablyoldermanwearingastronaut'suniform.
Thoughthefrail,greyhairedwomanwatchingthedomesticcomedyunfoldingonthe
TVpanelwasnotyetseventy,shelookedmucholder.Fromtimetotimeshechuckled
appreciativelyatsomejokefromthescreen,butshekeptglancingatthedoorasif
expectingavisitor.Andwhenshedidso,shetookafirmergrasponthewalkingstick
proppedagainstherchair.
YetshewasdistractedbyamomentofTVdramawhenthedoorfinallyopened,and
shelookedaroundwithaguiltystartasthelittleservicetrolleyrolledintotheroom,
followedcloselybyauniformednurse.
'Timeforlunch,Jessie,'calledthenurse:'We'vegotsomethingveryniceforyoutoday.'
'Don'twantanylunch.'
'Itwillmakeyoufeelalotbetter.'
'Iwon'teatuntilyoutellmewhatitis.'
'Whywon'tyoueatit?'
'I'mnothungry.Areyoueverhungry?'sheaddedslyly.
Therobotfoodtrolleycametoahaltbesidethechair,andthetransportcoversopened
uptorevealthedishes.Throughout,thenursenevertouchedanything,noteventhe
controlsonthetrolley.Shenowstoodmotionless,witharatherfixedsmile,lookingather
difficultpatient.
Inthemonitorroomfiftymetresaway,themedicaltechniciansaidtothedoctor:'Now
watchthis.'
Jessie'sgnarledhandliftedthewalkingstickthen,withsurprisingspeed,shesweptit
inashortarctowardthenurse'slegs.
Thenursetooknonoticewhatsoever,evenwhenthestickslicedrightthroughher.
Instead,sheremarkedsoothingly,'Now,doesn'tthatlooknice?Eatitup,dear.'
AcunningsmilespreadacrossJessie'sface,butsheobeyedinstructions.Inamoment,
shewaseatingheartily.

'Yousee?'saidthetechnician.'Sheknowsperfectlywellwhat'sgoingon.She'salot
brighterthanshepretendstobe,mostofthetime.'
'Andshe'sthefirst?'
'Yes.AlltheothersbelievethatreallyisNurseWilliams,bringingtheirmeals.'
'Well,Idon'tthinkitmatters.Lookhowpleasedsheis,justbecauseshe'soutsmarted
us.She'seatingherfood,whichisthepurposeoftheexercise.Butwemustwarnthe
nursesallofthem,notjustWilliams.'
'Whyoh,ofcourse.Thenexttimeitmaynotbeahologram andthenthinkofthe
lawsuitswe'llbefacingfromourbatteredstaff.'

32
CrystalSpring

TheIndians,andtheCajunsettlerswhohadmovedherefromLouisiana,saidthat
CrystalSpringwasbottomless.That,ofcourse,wasnonsense,andsurelyeventhey
couldnotbelieveit.Onehadonlytoputonafacemaskandswimoutafewstrokesand
there,clearlyvisible,wasthelittlecavefromwhichtheincrediblypurewaterflowedwith
theslendergreenweedsundulatingaroundit.Andpeeringupthroughthem,theeyesof
theMonster.
Twodarkcircles,sidebysideeventhoughtheynevermoved,whatelsecouldthey
be?ThatlurkingpresencegaveanaddedexcitementtoeveryswimonedaytheMonster
wouldcomerushingupfromitslair,scatteringthefishinitshuntforlargerprey.Never
wouldBobbyorDavidadmitthatnothingmoredangerousthananabandoned,and
doubtlessstolen,bicyclelayhalfburiedamongthewaterweeds,ahundredmetresdown.
Thatdepthwashardtobelieve,evenafterlineandsinkerhadestablisheditbeyond
argument.Bobby,theolderandbetterdiver,hadbeenperhapsatenthofthewaydown,
andhadreportedthatthebottomlookedjustasfarawayasever.
ButnowtheCrystalSpringwasabouttorevealitssecretsperhapsthelegendofthe
Confederatetreasurewastrue,despitethescornofallthelocalhistorians.Atthevery
least,theymightendearthemselvestothechiefofpolicealwaysexcellentpolicyby
recoveringafewhandgunsdepositedafterrecentcrimes.

ThelittleaircompressorthatBobbyhadfoundinthegaragejunkheapwasnow
chugginghealthilyaway,aftertheirinitialproblemsofstartingit.Everyfewsecondsit
wouldcoughandemitacloudofbluesmoke,butitshowednosignofstopping.'Andeven
ifitdoes,'saidBobby,'sowhat?IfthegirlsintheUnderwaterTheatrecanswimupfrom
fiftymetreswithouttheirairhoses,socanwe.It'sperfectlysafe.'
Inthatcase,thoughtDavefleetingly,whydidn'twetellMawhatweweredoing,and
whydidwewaituntilDadhadgonebacktotheCapeforthenextshuttlelaunch?Buthe
didnothaveanyrealqualms:Bobbyalwaysknewbest.Itmustbewonderfultobe
seventeen,andtoknoweverything.Thoughhewishedhewouldn'tspendquitesomuch
timenowwiththatstupidBettySchultz.True,shewasveryprettybut,dammit,shewas
agirl!Itwasonlywiththegreatestdifficultythattheyhadbeenabletogetridofherthis
morning.
Davewasusedtobeingaguineapigthatwaswhatyoungerbrotherswerefor.He
adjustedhisfacemask,putonhisflippers,andslidintothecrystallinewater.
Bobbyhandedhimtheairhosewiththeoldscubamouthpiecetheyhadtapedtoit.
Davetookabreath,andgrimaced.
'Ittasteshorrible.'
'You'llgetusedtoit.Inyougonodeeperthanthatledge.That'swhereI'llstart
adjustingthepressurevalvesowedon'twastetoomuchair.ComeupwhenItugthe
hose.'
Daveslidgentlybeneaththesurface,andintowonderland.Itwasapeaceful,
monochromeworld,sodifferentfromthecoralreefsoftheKeys.Therewerenoneofthe
garishcoloursofthemarineenvironment,wherelifeanimalandvegetableflaunted
itselfwithallthehuesoftherainbow.Herewereonlydelicateshadesofblueandgreen,
andfishthatlookedlikefish,notlikebutterflies.
Heflipperedslowlydown,draggingthehosebehindhim,pausingtodrinkfromits
streamofbubbleswheneverhefelttheneed.Thesensationoffreedomwassowonderful
thathealmostforgotthehorribleoilytasteinhismouth.Whenhereachedtheledge
actuallyanancient,waterloggedtreetrunk,soovergrownwithweedsthatitwas
unrecognizablehesatdownandlookedaroundhim.
Hecouldseerightacrossthespring,tothegreenslopesatthefarsideoftheflooded
crater,atleastahundredmetresaway.Therewerenotmanyfisharound,butasmall
schoolwenttwinklingpastlikeashowerofsilvercoinsinthesunlightstreamingdown
fromabove.
Therewasalsoanoldfriendstationed,asusual,atthegapwherethewatersofthe
springbegantheirjourneytothesea.Asmallalligator('butlargeenough,'Bobbyhad
oncesaidcheerfully.'He'sbiggerthanIam.')washangingvertically,withoutvisiblemeans

ofsupport,onlyhisnoseabovethesurface.Theyhadneverbotheredhim,andhehad
neverbotheredthem.
Theairhosegaveanimpatienttug.Davewashappytogohehadnotrealizedhow
colditcouldgetatthathithertounattainabledepthandhewasalsofeelingdistinctlysick.
Butthehotsunlightsoonrevivedhisspirits.
'Noproblems,'saidBobbyexpansively.'Justkeepunscrewingthevalvesothepressure
gaugedoesn'tdropbelowtheredline.'
'Howdeepareyougoing?'
'Alltheway,ifIfeellikeit.'
Davedidnottakethatseriouslytheybothknewaboutraptureofthedepthsand
nitrogennarcosis.Andinanycase,theoldgardenhosewasonlythirtymetreslong.That
wouldbeplentyforthisfirstexperiment.
Ashehaddonesomanytimesbefore,hewatchedwithenviousadmirationashis
belovedelderbrotheracceptedanewchallenge.Swimmingaseffortlesslyasthefish
aroundhim,Bobbyglideddownwardintothatblue,mysteriousuniverse.Heturnedonce
andpointedvigorouslytotheairhose,makingitunmistakablyclearthatheneededan
increasedairflow.
Despitethesplittingheadachethathadsuddenlycomeuponhim,Daveremembered
hisduty.Hehurriedbacktotheancientcompressor,andopenedthecontrolvalvetoits
deadlymaximumfiftypartspermillionofcarbonmonoxide.
ThelasthesawofBobbywasthatconfidentlydescending,sunlightdappledfigure
passingforeverbeyondhisreach.Thewaxstatueinthefuneralparlourwasatotal
stranger,whohadnothingtodowithRobertBowman.

33
Betty

Whyhadhecomehere,returninglikeanunquietghosttothesceneofancient
anguish?Hehadnoideaindeed,hehadnotbeenconsciousofhisdestination,untilthe
roundeyeofCrystalSpringhadgazedupathimfromtheforestbelow.
Hewasmasteroftheworld,yethewasparalysedbyasenseofdevastatinggriefhe
hadnotknownforyears.Timehadhealedthewound,asitalwaysdoesyetitseemed

onlyyesterdaythathehadstoodweepingbesidetheemeraldmirror,seeingonlythe
reflectionsofthesurroundingcypresseswiththeirburdenofSpanishmoss.Whatwas
happeningtohim?
Andnow,stillwithoutdeliberatevolition,butasifsweptbysomegentlecurrent,hewas
driftingnorthward,towardthestatecapital.Hewaslookingforsomethingwhatitwas,he
wouldnotknowuntilhefoundit.
Noone,andnoinstrument,detectedhispassage.Hewasnolongerradiating
wastefully,buthadalmostmasteredhiscontrolofenergy,asoncehehadmasteredlost
thoughnotforgottenlimbs.Hesanklikeamistintotheearthquakeproofvaults,untilhe
foundhimselfamongbillionsofstoredmemories,anddazzling,flickeringnetworksof
electronicthoughts.
Thistaskwasmorecomplexthanthetriggeringofacrudenuclearbomb,andtookhim
alittlelonger.Beforehefoundtheinformationhewasseeking,hemadeonetrivialslip,
butdidnotbothertocorrectit.Nooneeverunderstoodwhy,thenextmonth,three
hundredFloridataxpayers,allofwhosenamesbeganwithF,receivedchequesfor
preciselyonedollar.Itcostmanytimestheoverpaymenttostraightenmattersout,andthe
baffledcomputerengineersfinallyputtheblameonacosmicrayshower.Which,onthe
whole,wasnotsoveryfarfromthetruth.
Inafewmilliseconds,hehadmovedfromTallahasseeto634SouthMagnoliaStreet,
Tampa.Itwasstillthesameaddressheneednothavewastedtimelookingitup.
Butthen,hehadneverintendedtolookitup,untiltheverymomentwhenhehaddone
so.
Afterthreebirthsandtwoabortions,BettyFernandez(neSchultz)wasstillabeautiful
woman.AtthemomentshewasalsoaverythoughtfuloneshewaswatchingaTV
programmethatbroughtbackmemories,bitterandsweet.
ItwasaNewsSpecial,triggeredbythemysteriouseventsoftheprecedingtwelve
hours,beginningwiththewarningthatLeonovhadbeamedbackfromthemoonsof
Jupiter.SomethingwasheadingforEarthsomethinghadharmlesslydetonatedan
orbitingnuclearbombwhichnoonehadcomeforwardtoclaim.Thatwasall,butitwas
quiteenough.
Thenewscommentatorshaddredgedupalltheoldvideotapesandsomeofthem
reallyweretapesgoingbacktotheoncetopsecretrecordsshowingthediscoveryof
TMAlontheMoon.Forthefiftiethtime,atleast,sheheardthateerieradioshriekasthe
monolithgreetedthelunardawnandhurleditsmessagetowardJupiter.Andonceagain
shewatchedthefamiliarscenesandlistenedtotheoldinterviewsaboardDiscovery.
Whywasshewatching?Itwasallstoredsomewhereinthehomearchives(thoughshe
neverplayeditbackwhenJoswasaround).Perhapsshewasexpectingsome

newsflashshedidnotliketoadmit,eventoherself,howmuchpowerthepaststillheld
overheremotions.
AndtherewasDave,asshehadexpected.ItwasanoldBBCinterview,ofwhichshe
knewalmosteveryword.HewastalkingaboutHal,tryingtodecidewhetherthecomputer
wasselfconsciousornot.
Howyounghelookedhowdifferentfromthoselastblurredimagesfromthedoomed
Discovery!AndhowmuchlikeBobbyassherememberedhim.
Theimagewaveredashereyesfilledwithtears.Nosomethingwaswrongwiththe
set,orthechannel.Bothsoundandimagewerebehavingerratically.
Dave'slipsweremoving,butshecouldhearnothing.Thenhisfaceseemedtodissolve,
tomeltintoblocksofcolour.Itreformed,blurredagain,andthenwassteadyoncemore.
Buttherewasstillnosound.
Wherehadtheygotthispicture!ThiswasnotDaveasaman,butasaboyasshehad
knownhimfirst.Hewaslookingoutofthescreenalmostasifhecouldseeheracrossthe
gulfofyears.
Hesmiledhislipsmoved.
'Hello,Betty,'hesaid.
Itwasnothardtoformthewords,andtoimposethemonthecurrentspulsinginthe
audiocircuits.Therealdifficultywastoslowdownhisthoughtstotheglacialtempoofthe
humanbrain.Andthentohavetowaitaneternityfortheanswer.
BettyFernandezwastoughshewasalsointelligent,andthoughshehadbeena
housewifeforadozenyears,shehadnotforgottenhertrainingasanelectronics
serviceperson.Thiswasjustanotherofthemedium'scountlessmiraclesofsimulation
shewouldacceptitnow,andworryaboutthedetailslater.
'Dave,'sheanswered.'Daveisthatreallyyou?'
'Iam notsure,'repliedtheimageonthescreen,inacuriouslytonelessvoice.'ButI
rememberDaveBowman,andeverythingabouthim.'
'Ishedead?'
Nowthatwasanotherdifficultquestion.
'Hisbodyyes.Butthatisnolongerimportant.AllthatDaveBowmanreallywas,isstill
partofme.'

BettycrossedherselfthatwasagestureshehadlearnedfromJosandwhispered:
'Youmeanyou'reaspirit?'
'Idonotknowabetterword.'
'Whyhaveyoureturned?'
'Ah!Bettywhyindeed!Iwishyoucouldtellme.'
Yetheknewoneanswer,foritwasappearingontheTVscreen.Thedivorcebetween
bodyandmindwasstillfarfromcomplete,andnoteventhemostcomplaisantofthecable
networkswouldhavetransmittedtheblatantlysexualimagesthatwereformingtherenow.
Bettywatchedforalittlewhile,sometimessmiling,sometimesshocked.Thenshe
turnedaway,notthroughshamebutsadnessregretforlostdelights.
'Soit'snottrue,'shesaid,'whattheyalwaystoldusaboutangels.'
AmIanangel?hewondered.Butatleastheunderstoodwhathewasdoingthere,
sweptbackbythetidesofsorrowanddesiretoarendezvouswithhispast.Themost
powerfulemotionhehadeverknownhadbeenhispassionforBettytheelementsofgrief
andguiltitcontainedonlymadeitstronger.
ShehadnevertoldhimifhewasabetterloverthanBobbythatwasonequestionhe
hadneverasked,forthatwouldhavebrokenthespell.Theyhadclungtothesame
illusion,soughtineachother'sarms(andhowyounghehadbeenstillonlyseventeen
whenithadstarted,barelytwoyearsafterthefuneral!)abalmforthesamewound.
Ofcourse,itcouldnotlast,buttheexperiencehadlefthimirrevocablychanged.For
morethanadecade,allhisautoeroticfantasieshadcentreduponBettyhehadnever
foundanotherwomantocomparewithher,andlongagohadrealizedthathenever
would.Nooneelsewashauntedbythesamebelovedghost.
Theimagesofdesirefadedfromthescreenforamoment,theregularprogramme
brokethrough,withanincongruousshotofLeonovhangingaboveIo.ThenDave
Bowman'sfacereappeared.Heseemedtobelosingcontrol,foritslineamentswerewildly
unstable.Sometimeshewouldseemonlytenyearsoldthentwentyorthirtythen,
incredibly,awizenedmummywhosewrinkledfeatureswereaparodyofthemanshehad
onceknown.
'IhaveonemorequestionbeforeIgo.CarlosyoualwayssaidhewasJose'sson,and
Ialwayswondered.Whatwasthetruth?'

BettyFernandezstaredforonelong,lasttimeintotheeyesoftheboyshehadonce
loved(hewaseighteenagain,andforamomentshewishedshecouldseehisentire
body,notmerelyhisface).
'Hewasyourson,David,'shewhispered.
Theimagefadedthenormalserviceresumed.When,almostanhourlater,Jos
Fernandezcamequietlyintotheroom,Bettywasstillstaringatthescreen.
Shedidnotturnaroundashekissedheronthebackoftheneck.
'You'llneverbelievethis,Jos.'
'Tryme.'
'I'vejustliedtoaghost.'

34
Valediction

WhentheAmericanInstituteofAeronauticsandAstronauticspublisheditscontroversial
summaryFiftyYearsofUFOsin1997,manycriticspointedoutthatunidentifiedflying
objectshadbeenobservedforcenturies,andthatKennethArnold's'FlyingSaucer'
sightingof1947hadcountlessprecedents.Peoplehadbeenseeingstrangethingsinthe
skysincethedawnofhistorybutuntilthemidtwentiethcentury,UFOswerearandom
phenomenonofnogeneralinterest.Afterthatdate,theybecameamatterofpublicand
scientificconcern,andthebasisforwhatcouldonlybecalledreligiousbeliefs.
Thereasonwasnotfartoseekthearrivalofthegiantrocketandthedawnofthe
SpaceAgehadturnedmen'smindstootherworlds.Realizationthatthehumanrace
wouldsoonbeabletoleavetheplanetofitsbirthpromptedtheinevitablequestions:
Where'severyone,andwhenmayweexpectvisitors?Therewasalsothehope,thoughit
wasseldomspelledoutinasmanywords,thatbenevolentcreaturesfromthestarsmight
helpmankindhealitsnumerousselfinflictedwoundsandsaveitfromfuturedisasters.
Anystudentofpsychologycouldhavepredictedthatsoprofoundaneedwouldbe
swiftlysatisfied.Duringthelasthalfofthetwentiethcentury,therewereliterallythousands
ofreportsofspacecraftsightingsfromeverypartoftheglobe.Morethanthat,therewere
hundredsofreportsof'closeencounters'actualmeetingswithextraterrestrialvisitors,
frequentlyembellishedbytalesofcelestialjoyrides,abductions,andevenhoneymoonsin
space.Thefactthat,overandoveragain,theseweredemonstratedtobeliesor

hallucinationsdidnothingtodeterthefaithful.Menwhohadbeenshowncitiesonthefar
sideoftheMoonlostlittlecredibilityevenwhenOrbitersurveysandApollorevealedno
artifactsofanykindladieswhomarriedVenusianswerestillbelievedwhenthatplanet,
sadly,turnedouttobehotterthanmoltenlead.
BythetimetheALAApublisheditsreportnoreputablescientistevenamongthose
fewwhohadonceespousedtheideabelievedthatUFOshadanyconnectionwith
extraterrestriallifeorintelligence.Ofcourse,itwouldneverbepossibletoprovethatany
oneofthosemyriadsightings,overthelastthousandyears,mighthavebeenthereal
thing.Butastimewentby,andsatellitecamerasandradarsscanningtheentireheavens
producednoconcreteevidence,thegeneralpubliclostinterestintheidea.Thecultists,of
course,werenotdiscouraged,butkeptthefaithwiththeirnewslettersandbooks,mostof
themregurgitatingandembellishingoldreportslongaftertheyhadbeendiscreditedor
exposed.
WhenthediscoveryoftheTychomonolithTMAIwasfinallyannounced,therewasa
chorusof'Itoldyouso's!'Itcouldnolongerbedeniedthattherehadbeenvisitorstothe
MoonandpresumablytotheEarthaswellalittlematterofthreemillionyearsago.At
once,UFOsinfestedtheheavensagainthoughitwasoddthatthethreeindependent
nationaltrackingsystems,whichcouldlocateanythinginspacelargerthanaballpoint
pen,werestillunabletofindthem.
Ratherquickly,thenumberofreportsdroppeddowntothe'noiselevel'oncemorethe
figurethatwouldbeexpected,merelyasaresultofthemanyastronomical,
meteorological,andaeronauticalphenomenaconstantlyoccurringintheskies.
Butnowithadstartedalloveragain.Thistime,therewasnomistakeitwasofficial.A
genuineUFOwasonitswaytoEarth.
SightingswerereportedwithinminutesofthewarningfromLeonovthefirstclose
encounterswereonlyafewhourslater.Aretiredstockbroker,walkinghisbulldogonthe
YorkshireMoors,wasastonishedwhenadiskshapedcraftlandedbesidehimandthe
occupantquitehuman,exceptforthepointedearsaskedthewaytoDowningStreet.
Thecontacteewassosurprisedthathewasonlyabletowavehisstickinthegeneral
directionofWhitehallconclusiveproofofthemeetingwasprovidedbythefactthatthe
bulldognowrefusedtotakehisfood.
Althoughthestockbrokerhadnoprevioushistoryofmentalillness,eventhosewho
believedhimhadsomedifficultyinacceptingthenextreport.ThistimeitwasaBasque
shepherdonatraditionalmissionhewasgreatlyrelievedwhenwhathehadfearedtobe
borderguardsturnedouttobeacoupleofcloakedmenwithpiercingeyes,whowantedto
knowthewaytotheUnitedNationsHeadquarters.
TheyspokeperfectBasqueanexcruciatinglydifficulttonguewithnoaffinitytoany
otherknownlanguageofmankind.Clearly,thespacevisitorswereremarkablelinguists,
eveniftheirgeographywasoddlydeficient.

Soitwenton,caseaftercase.Veryfewofthecontacteeswereactuallylyingorinsane
mostofthemsincerelybelievedtheirownstories,andretainedthatbeliefevenunder
hypnosis.Andsomewerejustvictimsofpracticaljokesorimprobableaccidentslikethe
unluckyamateurarchaeologistswhofoundthepropsthatacelebratedsciencefiction
moviemakerhadabandonedintheTunisiandesertalmostfourdecadesearlier.

Yetonlyatthebeginningandattheveryendwasanyhumanbeinggenuinelyaware
ofhispresenceandthatwasbecausehesodesiredit.
Theworldwashistoexploreandexamineashepleased,withoutrestraintor
hindrance.Nowallscouldkeephimout,nosecretscouldbehiddenfromthesenseshe
possessed.Atfirsthebelievedthathewasmerelyfulfillingoldambitions,byvisitingthe
placeshehadneverseeninthatearlierexistence.Notuntilmuchlaterdidherealizethat
hislightninglikesalliesacrossthefaceoftheglobehadadeeperpurpose.
Insomesubtleway,hewasbeingusedasaprobe,samplingeveryaspectofhuman
affairs.Thecontrolwassotenuousthathewasbarelyconsciousofithewasratherlikea
huntingdogonaleash,allowedtomakeexcursionsofhisown,yetnevertheless
compelledtoobeytheoverridingwishesofhismaster.
Thepyramids,theGrandCanyon,themoonwashedsnowsofEverestthesewere
choicesofhisown.Soweresomeartgalleriesandconcerthallsthoughhewould
certainly,onhisowninitiative,neverhaveenduredthewholeoftheRing.
Norwouldhehavevisitedsomanyfactories,prisons,hospitals,anastylittlewarin
Asia,aracecourse,acomplicatedorgyinBeverlyHills,theOvalRoomoftheWhite
House,theKremlinarchives,theVaticanLibrary,thesacredBlackStoneoftheKaabahat
Mecca.
Therewerealsoexperiencesofwhichhehadnoclearmemory,asiftheyhadbeen
censoredorhewasbeingprotectedfromthembysomeguardianangel.Forexample
WhatwashedoingattheLeakeyMemorialMuseum,inOlduvaiGorge?Hehadno
greaterinterestintheoriginofManthananyotherintelligentmemberofthespeciesH.
sapiens,andfossilsmeantnothingtohim.Yetthefamousskulls,guardedlikecrown
jewelsintheirdisplaycases,arousedstrangeechoesinhismemory,andanexcitement
forwhichhewasunabletoaccount.Therewasafeelingofdjavustrongerthananyhe
hadeverknowntheplaceshouldbefamiliarbutsomethingwaswrong.Itwaslikea
housetowhichonereturnsaftermanyyears,tofindthatallthefurniturehasbeen
changed,thewallsmoved,andeventhestairwaysrebuilt.
Itwasbleak,hostileterrain,dryandparched.Wherewerethelushplainsandthe
myriadfleetfootedherbivoresthathadroamedacrossthem,threemillionyearsago?

Threemillionyears.Howhadheknownthat?
Noanswercamefromtheechoingsilenceintowhichhehadthrownthequestion.But
thenhesaw,oncemoreloomingbeforehim,afamiliarblackrectangularshape.He
approached,andashadowyimageappearedinitsdepths,likeareflectioninapoolofink.
Thesadandpuzzledeyesthatstaredbackfrombeneaththathairy,recedingforehead
lookedbeyondhimintoafuturetheycouldneversee.Forhewasthatfuture,ahundred
thousandgenerationsfurtherdownthestreamoftime.
Historyhadbeguntherethatatleasthenowunderstood.Buthowandaboveall,why
weresecretsstillwithheldfromhim?
Buttherewasonelastduty,andthatwashardestofall.Hewasstillsufficientlyhuman
toputitoffuntiltheveryend.

Nowwhat'ssheupto?thedutynurseaskedherself,zoomingtheTVmonitorontothe
oldlady.She'striedlotsoftricks,butthisisthefirsttimeI'veseenhertalkingtoher
hearingaid,forgoodnesssake.Iwonderwhatshe'ssaying?
Themicrophonewasnotsensitiveenoughtopickupthewords,butthatscarcely
seemedtomatter.JessieBowmanhadseldomlookedsopeacefulandcontent.Though
hereyeswereclosed,herentirefacewaswreathedinanalmostangelicsmilewhileher
lipscontinuedtoformwhisperedwords.
Andthenthewatchersawsomethingthatshetriedhardtoforgetbecausetoreportit
wouldinstantlydisqualifyherinthenursingprofession.Slowlyandjerkily,thecomblying
onthebedsidetableraiseditselfintheairasifliftedbyclumsy,invisiblefingers.
Onthefirstattempt,itmissedthen,withobviousdifficulty,itbegantopartthelong
silverstrands,pausingsometimestodisentangleaknot.
JessieBowmanwasnotspeakingnow,butshecontinuedtosmile.Thecombwas
movingwithmoreassurance,andnolongerinabrupt,uncertainjerks.
Howlongitlastedthenursecouldneverbecertain.Notuntilthecombwasgently
replacedonthetabledidsherecoverfromherparalysis.
TenyearoldDaveBowmanhadfinishedthechorewhichhealwayshatedbutwhich
hismotherloved.AndaDavidBowmanwhowasnowagelesshadgainedhisfirstcontrol
ofobduratematter.
JessieBowmanwasstillsmilingwhenthenursefinallycametoinvestigate.Shehad
beentooscaredtohurrybutitwouldhavemadenodifferenceanyway.

35
Rehabilitation

TheuproarofEarthwascomfortablymuted,acrossthemillionsofkilometresofspace.
Leonov'screwwatched,withfascinationyetwithacertaindetachment,thedebatesinthe
UnitedNations,theinterviewswithdistinguishedscientists',thetheorizingofthenews
commentators,thematteroffactyetwildlyconflictingaccountsoftheUFOcontactees.
Theycouldcontributenothingtothebrouhaha,fortheyhadwitnessednofurther
manifestationsofanykind.Zagadka,aliasBigBrother,remainedasblanklyindifferentto
theirpresenceasever.Andthatwasindeedanironicsituationtheyhadcomealltheway
fromEarthtosolveamysteryanditlookedasiftheanswermightberightbackattheir
startingpoint.
Forthefirsttime,theyfeltgratefulfortheslowvelocityoflight,andthetwohourdelay
thatmadeliveinterviewsimpossibleontheEarthJupitercircuit.Evenso,Floydwas
badgeredbysomanymediarequeststhathefinallywentonstrike.Nothingmore
remainedtobesaid,andhehadsaiditatleastadozentimes.
Besides,therewasstillmuchworktobedone.Leonovhadtobepreparedforthelong
journeyhome,sothatitwouldbereadytodepartimmediatelywhenthelaunchwindow
opened.Thetimingwasnotatallcriticaleveniftheymissedbyamonth,thatwould
merelyprolongthetrip.Chandra,Curnow,andFloydwouldnotevennoticeastheyslept
theirwaytowardtheSunbuttherestofthecrewwasgrimlydeterminedtoleavejustas
soonasthelawsofcelestialmechanicspermitted.
Discoverystillposedmanyproblems.Theshiphadbarelysufficientpropellantforthe
returntoEarth,evenifitleftmuchlaterthanLeonovandflewaminimumenergyorbit
whichwouldtakealmostthreeyears.AndthiswouldbepossibleonlyifHalcouldbe
reliablyprogrammedtocarryoutthemissionwithnohumaninterventionexceptlong
rangemonitoring.Withouthiscooperation,Discoverywouldhavetobeabandonedonce
again.
Ithadbeenfascinatingindeed,deeplymovingtowatchthesteadyregrowthofHal's
personality,frombraindamagedchildtopuzzledadolescentandatlengthtoslightly
condescendingadult.Althoughheknewthatsuchanthropomorphiclabelswerehighly
misleading,Floydfounditquiteimpossibletoavoidthem.
Andthereweretimeswhenhefeltthatthewholesituationhadahauntingfamiliarity.
Howoftenhehadseenvideodramasinwhichdisturbedyoungsterswerestraightenedout

byallwisedescendantsofthelegendarySigmundFreud!Essentiallythesamestorywas
beingplayedoutintheshadowofJupiter.
Theelectronicpsychoanalysishadproceededataspeedtotallybeyondhuman
comprehensionasrepairanddiagnosticprogramsflashedthroughHal'scircuitsatbillions
ofbitsasecond,pinpointingpossiblemalfunctionsandcorrectingthem.Thoughmostof
theseprogramshadbeentestedinadvanceonHal'stwin,SAL9000,theimpossibilityofa
realtimedialoguebetweenthetwocomputerswasaserioushandicap.Sometimeshours
werewastedwhenitprovednecessarytocheckbackwithEarthatacriticalpointinthe
therapy.
FordespiteallChandra'swork,thecomputer'srehabilitationwasstillfarfromcomplete.
Halexhibitednumerousidiosyncrasiesandnervoustics,sometimesevenignoringspoken
wordsthoughhewouldalwaysacknowledgekeyboardinputsfromanyone.Inthe
reversedirection,hisoutputswereevenmoreeccentric.
Thereweretimeswhenhewouldgiveverbalreplies,butwouldnotdisplaythem
visually.Atothertimeshewoulddobothbutrefusedtoprinthardcopy.Hewouldgive
noexcusesorexplanationsnoteventhestubbornlyimpenetrable'Iprefernotto'of
Melville'sautisticscrivener,Bartelby.
However,hewasnotactivelydisobedientsomuchasreluctant,andonlywherecertain
taskswereconcerned.Itwasalwayspossibletowinhiscooperationeventually'totalk
himoutofhissulk',asCurnowputitneatly.
ItwasnotsurprisingthatDrChandrawasbeginningtoshowthestrain.Onone
celebratedoccasionwhenMaxBrailovskyinnocentlyrevivedanoldcanard,healmostlost
histemper.
'Isittrue,DrChandra,thatyouchosethenameHaltobeonestepaheadofIBM?'
'Utternonsense!HalfofuscomefromIBMandwe'vebeentryingtostampoutthat
storyforyears.IthoughtthatbynoweveryintelligentpersonknewthatHALisderived
fromHeuristicALgorithmic.'
Afterward,Maxsworethathecoulddistinctlyhearthecapitalletters.
InFloyd'sprivateopinion,theoddswereatleastfiftytooneagainstflyingDiscovery
safelybacktoEarth.AndthenChandracametohimwithanextraordinaryproposal.
'DrFloyd,canIhaveawordwithyou?'
Afteralltheweeksandsharedexperiences,Chandrawasstillasformalasevernot
onlytoFloyd,buttoallthecrew.Hewouldnotevenaddresstheship'sbaby,Zenia,
withouttheprefix'ma'am'.

'Ofcourse,Chandra.Whatisit?'
'I'vevirtuallycompletedtheprogrammingforthesixmostprobablevariationsonthe
Hohmannreturnorbit.Fivehavenowbeenrunonasimulation,withoutanyproblems.'
'Excellent.I'msurethatnooneelseonEarthintheSolarSystem couldhavedoneit.'
'Thankyou.However,youknowaswellasIdothatit'simpossibletoprogramforevery
eventuality.Halmaywillfunctionperfectly,andwillbeabletohandleanyreasonable
emergency.Butallsortsoftrivialaccidentsminorequipmentfailuresthatcouldbefixed
withascrewdriver,brokenwires,stuckswitchescouldleavehimhelplessandabortthe
wholemission.'
'You'reabsolutelyright,ofcourse,andit'sbeenworryingme.Butwhatcanwedoabout
it?'
'It'sreallyquitesimple.I'dliketostaywithDiscovery.'
Floyd'simmediatereactionwasthatChandrahadgonecrazy.Onsecondthoughts,
perhapshewasonlyhalfcrazy.Itmightindeedmakeallthedifferencebetweensuccess
andfailuretohaveahumanbeingthatsuperballpurposetroubleshootingandrepair
deviceaboardDiscoveryforthelongvoyagebacktoEarth.Buttheobjectionswere
completelyoverwhelming.
'It'saninterestingidea,'Floydansweredwithextremecaution,'andIcertainly
appreciateyourenthusiasm.Buthaveyouthoughtofalltheproblems?'Thatwasasilly
thingtosayChandrawouldhavealltheanswersalreadyfiledawayforimmediate
retrieval.
'You'llbeonyourownforoverthreeyears!Supposeyouhadanaccidentoramedical
emergency?'
'That'sariskI'mpreparedtotake.'
'Andwhataboutfood,water?Leonovdoesn'thaveenoughtospare.'
'I'vecheckedDiscovery'srecyclingsystemitcanbemadeoperationalagainwithout
toomuchdifficulty.Besides,weIndianscanmanageonverylittle.'
ItwasunusualforChandratorefertohisorigins,orindeedtomakeanypersonal
statementshis'trueconfession'wastheonlyexampleFloydcouldremember.Buthedid
notdoubttheclaimCurnowhadonceremarkedthatDrChandrahadthesortofphysique
thatcouldonlybeachievedbycenturiesofstarvation.Althoughitsoundedlikeoneofthe
engineer'sunkinderwisecracks,ithadbeenmadeentirelywithoutmaliceindeed,with
sympathythoughnot,ofcourse,inChandra'shearing.

'Well,westillhaveseveralweekstodecide.I'llthinkitoverandtalktoWashington.'
'ThankyoudoyoumindifIstartmakingthearrangements?'
'Ernotatall,aslongastheydon'tinterferewiththeexistingplans.Remember
MissionControlwillhavetomakethefinaldecision.'
AndIknowexactlywhatMissionControlwillsay.Itwasmadnesstoexpectamanto
surviveinspaceforthree,years,alone.
But,ofcourse,Chandrahadalwaysbeenalone.

36
FireintheDeep

Earthwasalreadyfarbehind,andtheawesomewondersoftheJoviansystemwere
expandingswiftlybeforehim,whenhehadhisrevelation.
Howcouldhehavebeensoblindsostupid!Itwasasifhehadbeenwalkinginhis
sleepnowhewasstartingtoawaken.
Whoareyou?hecried.Whatdoyouwant?Whyhaveyoudonethistome?
Therewasnoanswer,yethewascertainthathehadbeenheard.Hesenseda...
presence,evenasamancantell,thoughhiseyesaretightlyshut,thatheisinaclosed
roomandnotsomeempty,openspace.Aroundhimtherewasthefaintechoofavast
mentality,animplacablewill.
Hecalledagainintothereverberantsilence,andagaintherewasnodirectreplyonly
thatsenseofwatchfulcompanionship.Verywellhewouldfindtheanswersforhimself.
Somewereobviouswhoeverorwhatevertheywere,theywereinterestedinMankind.
Theyhadtappedandstoredhismemories,fortheirowninscrutablepurposes.Andnow
theyhaddonethesamewithhisdeepestemotions,sometimeswithhiscooperation,
sometimeswithout.
Hedidnotresentthatindeed,theveryprocessinghehadexperiencedmadesuch
childishreactionsimpossible.Hewasbeyondloveandhateanddesireandfearbuthe
hadnotforgottenthem,andcouldstillunderstandhowtheyruledtheworldofwhichhe
hadoncebeenpart.Wasthatthepurposeoftheexercise?Ifso,forwhatultimategoal?

Hehadbecomeaplayerinagameofgods,andmustlearntherulesashewentalong.

Thejaggedrocksofthefourtinyoutermoons,Sinope,Pasiphae,Carme,andAnanke,
flickeredbrieflyacrosshisfieldofconsciousnessthencameElara,Lysithea,Himalia,and
LedaathalftheirdistancefromJupiter.Heignoredthemallnowthepockmarkedfaceof
Callistolayahead.
Once,twice,heorbitedthebatteredglobe,largerthanEarth'sownMoon,whilesenses
ofwhichhehadbeenunawareprobeditsouterlayersoficeanddust.Hiscuriositywas
quicklysatisfiedtheworldwasafrozenfossil,stillbearingthemarksofcollisionsthat,
aeonsago,musthavecomeclosetoshatteringit.Onehemispherewasagiantbull'seye,
aseriesofconcentricringswheresolidrockhadonceflowedinkilometrehighripples
undersomeancienthammerblowfromspace.
Secondslater,hewascirclingGanymede.Nowtherewasafarmorecomplexand
interestingworldthoughsoneartoCallisto,andalmostthesamesize,itpresentedan
utterlydifferentappearance.Therewere,itwastrue,numerouscratersbutmostofthem
seemedtohavebeen,quiteliterally,ploughedbackintotheground.Themost
extraordinaryfeatureoftheGanymedeanlandscapewasthepresenceofmeandering
stripes,builtupfromscoresofparallelfurrowsafewkilometresapart.Thisgroovedterrain
lookedasifithadbeenproducedbyarmiesofintoxicatedploughmen,weavingbackand
forthacrossthefaceofthesatellite.
Inafewrevolutions,hesawmoreofGanymedethanallthespaceprobeseversent
fromEarth,andfiledawaytheknowledgeforfutureuse.Onedayitwouldbeimportant
hewassureofthat,thoughhedidnotknowwhyanymorethanheunderstoodthe
impulsethatwasnowdrivinghimsopurposefullyfromworldtoworld.
As,presently,itbroughthimtoEuropa.Thoughhewasstilllargelyapassivespectator,
hewasawarenowofarisinginterest,afocusingofattentionaconcentrationofwill.
Evenifhewasapuppetinthehandsofanunseenanduncommunicativemaster,someof
thethoughtsofthatcontrollinginfluenceleakedorwereallowedtoleakintohisown
mind.
Thesmooth,intricatelypatternedglobenow,rushingtowardhimborelittleresemblance
eithertoGanymedeorCallisto.Itlookedorganicthenetworkoflinesbranchingand
intersectingoveritsentiresurfacewasuncannilylikeaworldspanningsystemofveins
andarteries.
Theendlessicefieldsofafrigidwaste,farcolderthantheAntarctic,stretchedbeneath
him.Then,withbriefsurprise,hesawthathewaspassingoverthewreckageofa
spaceship.HerecognizeditinstantlyastheillfatedTsien,featuredinsomanyofthe
videonewscastshehadanalysed.Notnownotnowtherewouldbeampleopportunity
later.

Thenhewasthroughtheice,andintoaworldasunknowntohiscontrollersasto
himself.
Itwasanoceanworld,itshiddenwatersprotectedfromthevacuum ofspacebyacrust
ofice.Inmostplacestheicewaskilometresthick,buttherewerelinesofweaknesswhere
ithadcrackedopenandtornapart.Thentherehadbeenabriefbattlebetweentwo
implacablyhostileelementsthatcameintodirectcontactonnootherworldintheSolar
System.ThewarbetweenSeaandSpacealwaysendedinthesamestalematethe
exposedwatersimultaneouslyboiledandfroze,repairingthearmourofice.
TheseasofEuropawouldhavefrozencompletelysolidlongagowithouttheinfluence
ofnearbyJupiter.Itsgravitycontinuallykneadedthecoreofthelittleworldtheforcesthat
convulsedIowereworkingthere,thoughwithmuchlessferocity.Asheskimmedacross
thefaceofthedeep,hesaweverywheretheevidenceofthattugofwarbetweenplanet
andsatellite.
Andhebothheardandfeltit,inthecontinualroarandthunderofsubmarine
earthquakes,thehissofescapinggasesfromtheinterior,theinfrasonicpressurewaves
ofavalanchessweepingovertheabyssalplains.Bycomparisonwiththetumultuous
oceanthatcoveredEuropa,eventhenoisyseasofEarthweresilent.
Hehadnotlosthissenseofwonder,andthefirstoasisfilledhimwithdelighted
surprise.Itextendedforalmostakilometrearoundatangledmassofpipesandchimneys
depositedbymineralbrinesgushingfromtheinterior.Outofthatnaturalparodyofa
Gothiccastle,black,scaldingliquidspulsedinaslowrhythm,asifdrivenbythebeatingof
somemightyheart.And,likeblood,theyweretheauthenticsignoflifeitself.
Theboilingfluidsdrovebackthedeadlycoldleakingdownfromabove,andformedan
islandofwarmthontheseabed.Equallyimportant,theybroughtfromEuropa'sinteriorall
thechemicalsoflife.There,inanenvironmentwherenonehadexpectedit,wereenergy
andfood,inabundance.
Yetitshouldhavebeenexpectedherememberedthat,onlyalifetimeago,suchfertile
oaseshadbeendiscoveredinthedeepoceansofEarth.Heretheywerepresentonan
immenselylargerscale,andinfargreatervariety.
Inthetropicalzoneclosetothecontortedwallsofthe'castle'weredelicate,spidery
structuresthatseemedtobetheanalogyofplants,thoughalmostallwerecapableof
movement.Crawlingamongthesewerebizarreslugsandworms,somefeedingonthe
plants,othersobtainingtheirfooddirectlyfromthemineralladenwatersaroundthem.At
greaterdistancesfromthesourceofheatthesubmarinefirearoundwhichallthe
creatureswarmedthemselvesweresturdier,morerobustorganisms,notunlikecrabsor
spiders.

Armiesofbiologistscouldhavespentlifetimesstudyingthatonesmalloasis.Unlikethe
Palaeozoicterrestrialseas,itwasnotastableenvironment,soevolutionhadprogressed
swiftlyhere,producingmultitudesoffantasticforms.Andtheywereallunderindefinite
stayofexecutionsoonerorlater,eachfountainoflifewouldweakenanddie,asthe
forcesthatpowereditmovedtheirfocuselsewhere.
Againandagain,inhiswanderingsacrosstheEuropanseabed,heencounteredthe
evidenceofsuchtragedies.Countlesscircularareaswerelitteredwiththeskeletonsand
mineralencrustedremainsofdeadcreatures,whereentirechaptersofevolutionhadbeen
deletedfromthebookoflife.
Hesawhuge,emptyshellsformedlikeconvolutedtrumpetsaslargeasaman.There
wereclamsofmanyshapesbivalves,andeventrivalves.Andtherewerespiralstone
patterns,manymetresacross,whichseemedanexactanalogyofthebeautifulammonites
thatdisappearedsomysteriouslyfromEarth'soceansattheendoftheCretaceous
Period.
Searching,seeking,hemovedbackandforthoverthefaceoftheabyss.Perhapsthe
greatestofallthewondershemetwasariverofincandescentlava,flowingforahundred
kilometresalongasunkenvalley.Thepressureatthatdepthwassogreatthatthewater
incontactwiththeredhotmagmacouldnotflashintosteam,andthetwoliquids
coexistedinanuneasytruce.
There,onanotherworldandwithalienactors,somethinglikethestoryofEgypthad
beenplayedlongbeforethecomingofman.AstheNilehadbroughtlifetoanarrow
ribbonofdesert,sothisriverofwarmthhadvivifiedtheEuropandeep.Alongitsbanks,in
abandnevermorethantwokilometreswide,speciesafterspecieshadevolvedand
flourishedandpassedaway.Andatleastonehadleftamonumentbehindit.
Atfirst,hethoughtthatitwasmerelyanotheroftheencrustationsofmineralsaltsthat
surroundedalmostallthethermalvents.However,ashecamecloser,hesawthatitwas
notanaturalformation,butastructurecreatedbyintelligence.Orperhapsbyinstincton
Earth,thetermitesrearedcastlesthatwerealmostequallyimposing,andthewebofa
spiderwasmoreexquisitelydesigned.
Thecreaturesthathadlivedtheremusthavebeenquitesmall,forthesingleentrance
wasonlyhalfametrewide.Thatentranceathickwalledtunnel,madebyheapingrocks
ontopofeachothergaveacluetothebuilders'intentions.Theyhadrearedafortress,
thereintheflickeringglownotfarfromthebanksoftheirmoltenNile.Andthentheyhad
vanished.
Theycouldnothaveleftmorethanafewcenturiesbefore.Thewallsofthefortress,
builtfromirregularlyshapedrocksthatmusthavebeencollectedwithgreatlabour,were
coveredwithonlyathincrustofmineraldeposits.Onepieceofevidencesuggestedwhy
thestrongholdhadbeenabandoned.Partoftheroofhadfallenin,perhapsowingtothe

continualearthquakesandinanunderwaterenvironment,afortwithoutaroofwaswide
opentoanenemy.
Heencounterednoothersignofintelligencealongtheriveroflava.Once,however,he
sawsomethinguncannilylikeacrawlingmanexceptthatithadnoeyesandnonostrils,
onlyahuge,toothlessmouththatgulpedcontinuously,absorbingnourishmentfromthe
liquidmediumaroundit.
Alongthenarrowbandoffertilityinthedesertsofthedeep,wholeculturesandeven
civilizationsmighthaverisenandfallen,armiesmighthavemarched(orswum)underthe
commandofEuropanTamberlanesorNapoleons.Andtherestoftheirworldwouldnever
haveknown,forallthoseoasesofwarmthwereasisolatedfromoneanotherasthe
planetsthemselves.Thecreatureswhobaskedintheglowofthelavariver,andfed
aroundthehotvents,couldnotcrossthehostilewildernessbetweentheirlonelyislands,If
theyhadeverproducedhistoriansandphilosophers,eachculturewouldhavebeen
convincedthatitwasaloneintheUniverse.
Yeteventhespacebetweentheoaseswasnotaltogetheremptyoflifetherewere
hardiercreatureswhohaddareditsrigours.OftenswimmingoverheadweretheEuropan
analoguesoffishstreamlinedtorpedoes,propelledbyverticaltails,steeredbyfinsalong
theirbodies.TheresemblancetothemostsuccessfuldwellersinEarth'soceanswas
inevitablegiventhesameengineeringproblems,evolutionmustproduceverysimilar
answers.Aswitnessthedolphinandthesharksuperficiallyalmostidentical,yetfromfar
distantbranchesofthetreeoflife.
Therewas,however,oneveryobviousdifferencebetweenthefishoftheEuropanseas
andthoseinterrestrialoceanstheyhadnogills,fortherewashardlyatraceofoxygento
beextractedfromthewatersinwhichtheyswam.LikethecreaturesaroundEarth'sown
geothermalvents,theirmetabolismwasbasedonsulphurcompounds,presentin
abundanceinthenearvolcanicenvironment.
Andveryfewhadeyes.Apartfromtheflickeringglowoftherarelavaoutpourings,and
occasionalburstsofbioluminescencefromcreaturesseekingmates,orhuntersquesting
prey,itwasalightlessworld.
Itwasalsoadoomedone.Notonlywereitsenergysourcessporadicandconstantly
shifting,butthetidalforcesthatdrovethemweresteadilyweakening.Evenifthey
developedtrueintelligence,theEuropansmustperishwiththefinalfreezingoftheirworld.
Theyweretrappedbetweenfireandice.

37
Estrangement

'I'mtrulysorry,oldfriend,tobethebearerofsuchbadnews,butCarolinehasasked
me,andyouknowhowIfeelaboutyouboth.
'AndIdon'tthinkitcanbesuchasurprise.Someoftheremarksyou'vemadetome
overthelastyearhavehintedatit...andyouknowhowbittershewaswhenyouleftEarth.
'No,Idon'tbelievethere'sanyoneelse.Iftherewas,she'dhavetoldme...Butsooneror
laterwell,she'sanattractiveyoungwoman.
'Chrisisfine,andofcoursehedoesn'tknowwhat'shappening.Atleasthewon'tbe
hurt.He'stooyoungtounderstand,andchildrenareincredibly...elastic?justaminute,
I'llhavetokeymythesaurus...ah,resilient.
'Nowtothingsthatmayseemlessimportanttoyou.Everyoneisstilltryingtoexplain
thatbombdetonationasanaccident,butofcoursenobodybelievesit.Becausenothing
elsehashappened,thegeneralhysteriahasdieddownwe'releftwithwhatoneofyour
commentatorshascalledthe"lookingovertheshouldersyndrome".
'Andsomeonehasfoundahundredyearoldpoemthatsumsupthesituationsoneatly
thateverybody'squotingit.It'ssetinthelastdaysoftheRomanEmpire,atthegatesofa
citywhoseoccupantsarewaitingforinvaderstoarrive.Theemperoranddignitariesare
alllinedupintheirmostcostlytogas,readywithspeechesofwelcome.Thesenatehas
closed,becauseanylawsitpassestodaywillbeignoredbythenewmasters.
'Then,suddenly,adreadfulpieceofnewsarrivesfromthefrontier.Therearen'tany
invaders.Thereceptioncommitteebreaksupinconfusioneveryonegoeshomemuttering
disappointedly,"Nowwhatwillhappentous?Thosepeoplewereakindofsolution."
'There'sjustoneslightchangeneededtobringthepoemuptodate.It'scalled"Waiting
fortheBarbarians"andthistime,wearethebarbarians.Andwedon'tknowwhatwe're
waitingfor,butitcertainlyhasn'tarrived.
'Oneotheritem.HadyouheardthatCommanderBowman'smotherdiedonlyafew
daysafterthethingcametoEarth?Itdoesseemanoddcoincidence,butthepeopleat
hernursinghomesaythatshenevershowedtheslightestinterestinthenews,soit
couldn'tpossiblyhaveaffectedher.'

Floydswitchedofftherecording.Dimitriwasrighthewasnottakenbysurprise.But
thatmadenottheslightestdifferenceithurtjustasbadly.

Yetwhatelsecouldhehavedone?IfhehadrefusedtogoonthemissionasCaroline
hadsoclearlyhopedhewouldhavefeltguiltyandunfulfilledfortheremainderofhislife.
Thatwouldhavepoisonedhismarriagebetterthiscleanbreak,whenphysicaldistance
softenedthepainofseparation.(Ordidit?Insomeways,itmadethingsworse.)More
importantwasduty,andthesenseofbeingpartofateamdevotedtoasinglegoal.
SoJessieBowmanwasgone.Perhapsthatwasanothercauseforguilt.Hehadhelped
tostealheronlyremainingson,andthatmusthavecontributedtohermentalbreakdown.
Inevitably,hewasremindedofadiscussionthatWalterCurnowhadstarted,onthatvery
subject.
'WhydidyouchooseDaveBowman?Healwaysstruckmeasacoldfishnotactually
unfriendly,butwheneverhecameintotheroom,thetemperatureseemedtodropten
degrees.'
'Thatwasoneofthereasonswedidselecthim.Hehadnoclosefamilyties,exceptfor
amotherhedidn'tseeveryoften.Sohewasthesortofmanwecouldsendonalong,
openendedmission.'
'Howdidhegetthatway?'
'Isupposethepsychologistscouldtellyou.Ididseehisreport,ofcourse,butthatwasa
longtimeago.Therewassomethingaboutabrotherwhowaskilledandhisfatherdied
soonafterward,inanaccidentononeoftheearlyshuttles.I'mnotsupposedtotellyou
this,butitcertainlydoesn'tmatternow.'
Itdidn'tmatterbutitwasinteresting.NowFloydalmostenviedDavidBowman,who
hadcometothatveryspotafreemanunencumberedbyemotionaltieswithEarth.
Nohewasdeceivinghimself.Evenwhilethepaingrippedhisheartlikeavice,what
hefeltforDavidBowmanwasnotenvy,butpity.

38
Foamscape

Thelastbeasthesaw,beforehelefttheoceansofEuropa,wasmuchthelargest.It
closelyresembledoneofthebanyantreesfromEarth'stropics,whosescoresoftrunks
allowasingleplanttocreateasmallforestsometimescoveringhundredsofsquare
metres.Thespecimen,however,waswalking,apparentlyonatrekbetweenoases.Ifit
wasnotoneofthecreaturesthathaddestroyedTsien,itcertainlybelongedtoavery
similarspecies.

Nowhehadlearnedallthatheneededtoknowor,rather,allthattheyneededto
know.Therewasonemoremoontovisitsecondslater,theburninglandscapeofIolay
belowhim.
Itwasashehadexpected.Energyandfoodwerethereinabundance,butthetimewas
notyetripefortheirunion.Aroundsomeofthecoolersulphurlakes,thefirststepshad
beentakenontheroadtolife,butbeforeanydegreeoforganizationhadoccurred,all
suchbravelyprematureattemptswerethrownbackintothemeltingpot.Notuntilthetidal
forcesthatdroveIo'sfurnaceshadlosttheirpower,millionsofyearslater,wouldtherebe
anythingtointerestbiologistsonthatsearedandsterilizedworld.
HewastedlittletimeonIo,andnoneatallonthetinyinnermoonsthatskirtedJupiter's
ghostlyringsthemselvesonlypaleshadowsoftheglorythatwasSaturn's.Thegreatest
ofworldslaybeforehimhewouldknowitasnomanhadeverdone,oreverwould.
Themillionkilometrelongtendrilsofmagneticforce,thesuddenexplosionsofradio
waves,thegeysersofelectrifiedplasmawiderthantheplanetEarththeywereasreal
andclearlyvisibletohimasthecloudsbandingtheplanetinmultihuedglory.Hecould
understandthecomplexpatternoftheirinteractions,andrealizedthatJupiterwasmuch
morewonderfulthananyonehadeverguessed.
EvenashefellthroughtheroaringheartoftheGreatRedSpot,withthelightningofits
continentwidethunderstormsdetonatingaroundhim,heknewwhyithadpersistedfor
centuriesthoughitwasmadeofgasesfarlesssubstantialthanthosethatformedthe
hurricanesofEarth.Thethinscreamofhydrogenwindfadedashesankintothecalmer
depths,andasleetofwaxensnowflakessomealreadycoalescingintobarelypalpable
mountainsofhydrocarbonfoam descendedfromtheheightsabove.Itwasalreadywarm
enoughforliquidwatertoexist,buttherewerenooceanstherethatpurelygaseous
environmentwastootenuoustosupportthem.
Hedescendedthroughlayerafterlayerofcloud,untilheenteredaregionofsuchclarity
thatevenhumanvisioncouldhavescannedanareamorethanathousandkilometres
across.ItwasonlyaminoreddyinthevastergyreoftheGreatRedSpotandithelda
secretthatmenhadlongguessed,butneverproved.
Skirtingthefoothillsofthedriftingfoammountainsweremyriadsofsmall,sharply
definedclouds,allaboutthesamesizeandpatternedwithsimilarredandbrown
mottlings.Theyweresmallonlyascomparedwiththeinhumanscaleoftheir
surroundingstheveryleastwouldhavecoveredafairsizedcity.
Theywereclearlyalive,fortheyweremovingwithslowdeliberationalongtheflanksof
theaerialmountains,browsingofftheirslopeslikecolossalsheep.Andtheywerecalling
toeachotherinthemetreband,theirradiovoicesfaintbutclearagainstthecracklings
andconcussionsofJupiteritself.

Nothinglessthanlivinggasbags,theyfloatedinthenarrowzonebetweenfreezing
heightsandscorchingdepths.Narrow,yesbutadomainfarlargerthanallthebiosphere
ofEarth.
Theywerenotalone.Movingswiftlyamongthemwereothercreaturessosmallthat
theycouldeasilyhavebeenoverlooked.Someofthemboreanalmostuncanny
resemblancetoterrestrialaircraftandwereofaboutthesamesize.Buttheytoowere
aliveperhapspredators,perhapsparasites,perhapsevenherdsmen.
Awholenewchapterofevolution,asalienasthatwhichhehadglimpsedonEuropa,
wasopeningbeforehim.Therewerejetpropelledtorpedoeslikethesquidsofthe
terrestrialoceans,huntinganddevouringthehugegasbags.Buttheballoonswerenot
defencelesssomeofthemfoughtbackswithelectricthunderboltsandwithclawed
tentacleslikekilometrelongchainsaws.
Therewereevenstrangershapes,exploitingalmosteverypossibilityofgeometry
bizarre,translucentkites,tetrahedra,spheres,polyhedra,tanglesoftwistedribbons.
ThegiganticplanktonoftheJovianatmosphere,theyweredesignedtofloatlike
gossamerintheuprisingcurrents,untiltheyhadlivedlongenoughtoreproducethenthey
wouldbesweptdownintothedepthstobecarbonizedandrecycledinanewgeneration.
HewassearchingaworldmorethanahundredtimestheareaofEarth,andthoughhe
sawmanywonders,nothingtherehintedofintelligence.Theradiovoicesofthegreat
balloonscarriedonlysimplemessagesofwarningoroffear.Eventhehunters,whomight
havebeenexpectedtodevelophigherdegreesoforganization,werelikethesharksin
Earth'soceansmindlessautomata.
Andforallitsbreathtakingsizeandnovelty,thebiosphereofJupiterwasafragileworld,
aplaceofmistsandfoam,ofdelicatesilkenthreadsandpaperthintissuesspunfromthe
continualsnowfallofpetrochemicalsformedbylightningintheupperatmosphere.Fewof
itsconstructsweremoresubstantialthansoapbubblesitsmostterrifyingpredatorscould
betorntoshredsbyeventhefeeblestofterrestrialcarnivores.
LikeEuropaonavastlygranderscale,Jupiterwasanevolutionaryculdesac.
Consciousnesswouldneveremergehereevenifitdid,itwouldbedoomedtoastunted
existence.Apurelyaerialculturemightdevelop,butinanenvironmentwherefirewas
impossible,andsolidsscarcelyexisted,itcouldneverevenreachtheStoneAge.
Andnow,ashehoveredabovethecentreofaJoviancyclonemerelyaslargeasAfrica,
hebecameawareonceagainofthepresencecontrollinghim.Moodsandemotionswere
leakingintohisownconsciousness,thoughhecouldnotidentifyanyspecificconceptsor
ideas.Itwasasifhewerelistening,outsideacloseddoor,toadebateinprogress,andin
alanguagehecouldnotunderstand.Butthemuffledsoundsclearlyconveyed
disappointment,thenuncertainty,thenasuddendeterminationthoughforwhatpurpose

hecouldnottell.Onceagain,hefeltlikeapetdog,abletosharehismaster'schanging
moodsbutnottocomprehendthem.
AndthentheinvisibleleashwastakinghimdowntowardtheheartofJupiter.Hewas
sinkingthroughtheclouds,belowthelevelwhereanyformoflifewaspossible.
Soonhewasbeyondthereachofthelastraysfrom thefaintanddistantSun.The
pressureandtemperaturewereswiftlymountingalreadyitwasabovetheboilingpointof
water,andhepassedbrieflythroughalayerofsuperheatedsteam.Jupiterwaslikean
onionhewaspeelingitawayskinbyskin,thoughasyethehadtravelledonlyafraction
ofthedistancetoitscore.
Beneaththesteamwasawitches'brewofpetrochemicalsenoughtopowerfora
millionyearsalltheinternalcombustionenginesthatmankindhaddyerbuilt.Itbecame
thickeranddenserthen,quiteabruptly,itendedatadiscontinuityonlyafewkilometres
thick.
HeavierthananyrocksonEarth,yetstillaliquid,thenextshellconsistedofsiliconand
carboncompoundsofacomplexitythatcouldhaveprovidedlifetimesofworkforterrestrial
chemists.Layerfollowedlayerforthousandsofkilometres,butasthetemperaturerose
intothehundredsandthenthethousandsofdegrees,thecompositionofthevarious
stratabecamesimplerandsimpler.Halfwaydowntothecore,itwastoohotforchemistry
allcompoundsweretornapart,andonlythebasicelementscouldexist.
Nexttherecameadeepseaofhydrogenbutnothydrogenasithadeverexistedfor
morethanafractionofasecondinanylaboratoryonEarth.Thishydrogenwasunder
suchenormouspressurethatithadbecomeametal.
Hehadalmostreachedthecentreoftheplanet,butJupiterhadonemoresurprisein
store.Thethickshellofmetallicyetstillfluidhydrogenendedabruptly.Atlast,therewasa
solidsurface,sixtythousandkilometresdown.
Forages,thecarbonbakedoutofthechemicalreactionsfarabovehadbeendrifting
downtowardthecentreoftheplanet.Thereithadgathered,crystallizingatapressureof
millionsofatmospheres.Andthere,byoneofNature'ssupremejests,wassomethingvery
precioustomankind.
ThecoreofJupiter,foreverbeyondhumanreach,wasadiamondasbigastheEarth.

39
InthePodBay

'WalterI'mworriedaboutHeywood.'
'Iknow,Tanyabutwhatcanwedo?'
CurnowhadneverseenCommanderOrlovainsoindecisiveamooditmadeherseem
muchmoreappealing,despitehisprejudiceagainstsmallwomen.
'I'mveryfondofhim,butthat'snotthereason.HisIsupposegloomisthebestword
foritismakingeveryonemiserable.Leonovhasbeenahappyship.Iwanttokeepitthat
way.'
'Whydon'tyoutalktohim?Herespectsyou,andI'msurehe'lldohisbesttosnapoutof
it.'
'Iintendtodojustthat.Andifitdoesn'twork''Well?'
'There'sonesimplesolution.Whatmorecanhedoonthistrip?Whenwestartbackfor
home,he'llbeinhibernationanyway.Wecouldalwayswhatdoyousay,jumpthegun
onhim.'
'PhewthesamedirtytrickthatKaterinaplayedonme.He'dbemadwhenhewoke
up.'
'ButalsosafelybackonEarth,andverybusy.I'msurehe'dforgiveus.'
'Idon'tthinkyou'reserious.EvenifIbackedyouup,Washingtonwouldraisehell.
Besides,supposesomethinghappened,andwereallyneedhimbadly?Isn'tthereatwo
weekbufferperiod,beforeyoucanreviveanyonesafely?'
'AtHeywood'sage,morelikeamonth.Yes,we'dbecommitted.Butwhatdoyouthink
couldhappennow?He'sdonethejobhewassentforapartfromkeepinganeyeonus.
AndI'msureyou'vebeenwellbriefedaboutthatinsomeobscuresuburbofVirginiaor
Maryland.'
'Ineitherconfirmnordeny.Andfrankly,I'malousyundercoveragent.Italktoomuch,
andIhateSecurity.I'vefoughtallmylifetokeepmyratingbelowRestricted.Everytime
therewasdangerofbeingreclassifiedConfidentialor,worsestill,Secret,I'dgoandcreate
ascandal.Thoughthat'sgettingverydifficultnowadays.'
'Walter,you'reincorrupt'
'Incorrigible?'
'Yes,that'sthewordImeant.ButbacktoHeywood,please.Wouldyouliketotalkto
himfirst?'

'Youmeangivehimapeptalk?I'dratherhelpKaterinadriveintheneedle.Our
psychologiesaretoodifferent.HethinksI'maloudmouthedclown.'
'Whichyouoftenare.Butthat'sonlytohideyourrealfeelings.Someofushaveevolved
thetheorythatdeepdowninsideyouisareallyniceperson,strugglingtogetout.'
Foronce,Curnowwasatalossforwords.Finallyhemumbled:'Oh,verywellI'lldo
mybest.Butdon'texpectmiraclesmyprofilegavemeZfortact.Where'shehidingatthe
moment?'
'InthePodBay.Heclaimshe'sworkingonhisfinalreport,butIdon'tbelieveit.Hejust
wantstogetawayfrom usall,andthat'sthequietestplace.'
Thatwasnotthereason,thoughitwasindeedanimportantone.Unlikethecarousel,
wheremostoftheactionaboardDiscoverywasthentakingplace,thePodBaywasa
zerogeeenvironment.
RightatthebeginningoftheSpaceAge,menhaddiscoveredtheeuphoriaof
weightlessnessandrememberedthefreedomtheyhadlostwhentheylefttheancient
wombofthesea.Beyondgravity,someofthatfreedomwasregainedwiththelossof
weightwentmanyofthecaresandworriesofEarth.
HeywoodFloydhadnotforgottenhissorrow,butitwasmorebearablethere.Whenhe
wasabletolookatthematterdispassionately,hewassurprisedatthestrengthofhis
reactiontoaneventnotwhollyunexpected.Morethanlossoflovewasinvolved,though
thatwastheworstpart.Theblowhadcomewhenhewasparticularlyvulnerable,atthe
verymomentwhenhewasfeelingasenseofanticlimax,evenfutility.
Andheknewpreciselywhy.Hehadachievedallthathehadbeenexpectedtodo,
thankstotheskillandcooperationofhiscolleagues(hewaslettingthemdown,heknew,
byhispresentselfishness).IfallwentwellthatlitanyoftheSpaceAge!theywould
returntoEarthwithacargoofknowledgethatnoexpeditionhadevergatheredbefore,
andafewyearslatereventheoncelostDiscoverywouldberestoredtoherbuilders.
Itwasnotenough.TheoverpoweringenigmaofBigBrotherremainedoutthere,onlya
fewkilometresaway,mockingallhumanaspirationsandachievements.Justasits
analogueontheMoonhaddone,adecadeago,ithadcometolifeforamoment,then
relapsedintostubborninertness.Itwasacloseddooruponwhichtheyhadhammeredin
vain.OnlyDavidBowman,itseemed,hadeverfoundthekey.
Perhapsthatexplainedtheattractionhefeltforthequietandsometimeseven
mysteriousplace.FromtherefromthatnowemptylaunchcradleBowmanhadlefton
hislastmission,throughthecircularhatchwaythatledtoinfinity.

Hefoundthethoughtexhilaratingratherthandepressingcertainlyithelpedtodistract
himfromhispersonalproblems.Nina'svanishedtwinwaspartofthehistoryofspace
explorationithadtravelled,inthewordsofthehoaryoldclichthatalwaysevokeda
smileyetanacknowledgementofitsfundamentaltruth,'wherenomanhadgonebefore...'
Wherewasitnow?Wouldheeverknow?
Hewouldsometimessitforhoursinthecrowdedbutnotcrampedlittlecapsule,trying
tocollecthisthoughtsandoccasionallydictatingnotestheothercrewmembers
respectedhisprivacy,andunderstoodthereasonforit.TheynevercamenearthePod
Bay,andhadnoneedtodoso.Itsrefurbishmentwasajobforthefuture,andsomeother
team.
Onceortwice,whenhehadfeltreallydepressed,hefoundhimselfthinking:SupposeI
orderedHaltoopenthePodBaydoors,andsetoutalongDaveBowman'strail?WouldI
begreetedbythemiraclehesawandwhichVasiliglimpsedafewweeksago?Itwould
solveallmyproblems...
EvenifthethoughtofChrisdidnotdeterhim,therewasanexcellentreasonwhyso
suicidalamovewasoutofthequestion.Ninawasaverycomplexpieceofequipmenthe
couldnomoreoperateherthanflyafighteraircraft.
Hewasnotmeanttobeanintrepidexplorer:thatparticularfantasywouldremain
unrealized.

WalterCurnowhadseldomundertakenamissionwithmorereluctance.Hefelt
genuinelysorryforFloyd,butatthesametimealittleimpatientwiththeother'sdistress.
Hisownemotionallifewasbroadbutshallowhehadneverputallhiseggsinonebasket.
Morethanoncehehadbeentoldthathespreadhimselftoothin,andthoughhehad
neverregrettedit,hewasbeginningtothinkitwastimetosettledown.
Hetooktheshortcutthroughthecarouselcontrolcentre,notingthattheMaximum
SpeedResetIndicatorwasstillflashingidiotically.Amajorpartofhisjobwasdeciding
whenwarningscouldbeignored,whentheycouldbedealtwithatleisureandwhenthey
hadtobetreatedasrealemergencies.Ifhepaidequalattentiontoalltheship'scriesfor
help,hewouldnevergetanythingdone.
HedriftedalongthenarrowcorridorthatledtothePodBay,propellinghimselfby
occasionalflicksagainsttherungsonthetubularwall.Thepressuregaugeclaimedthat
therewasvacuumontheothersideoftheairlockdoor,butheknewbetter.Itwasafail
safesituationhecouldnothaveopenedthelockifthegaugeweretellingthetruth.
Thebaylookedempty,nowthattwoofthethreepodshadlongsincegone.Onlyafew
emergencylightswereoperating,andonthefarwalloneofHal'sfisheyelenseswas

regardinghimsteadily.Curnowwavedtoit,butdidnotspeak.AtChandra'sorders,all
audioinputswerestilldisconnectedexceptfortheonethatonlyheused.
Floydwassittinginthepodwithhisbacktotheopenhatch,dictatingsomenotes,and
heswungslowlyaroundatCurnow'sdeliberatelynoisyapproach.Foramomentthetwo
menregardedeachotherinsilence,thenCurnowannouncedportentously,'DrH.Floyd,I
beargreetingsfromourbelovedcaptain.Sheconsidersithightimeyourejoinedthe
civilizedworld.'
Floydgaveawansmile,thenalittlelaugh.
'Pleasereturnmycompliments.I'msorryI'vebeenunsociable.I'llseeyouallatthe
nextSixO'ClockSoviet.'
Curnowrelaxedhisapproachhadworked.Privately,heconsideredFloydsomethingof
astuffedshirt,andhadthepracticalengineer'stolerantcontemptfortheoreticalscientists
andbureaucrats.SinceFloydrankedhighinbothcategories,hewasanalmostirresistible
targetforCurnow'ssometimespeculiarsenseofhumour.Nevertheless,thetwomenhad
growntorespectandevenadmireeachother.
Thankfullychangingthesubject,CurnowrappedonNina'sbrandnewhatchcover,
straightfromthesparesstoreandcontrastingvividlywiththerestofthespacepod's
shabbyexterior.
'Iwonderwhenwe'llsendheroutagain,'hesaid.'Andwho'sgoingtorideinherthis
time.Anydecisions?'
'No.Washington'sgotcoldfeet.Moscowsayslet'stakeachance.AndTanyawantsto
wait.'
'Whatdoyouthink?'
'IagreewithTanya.Weshouldn'tinterferewithZagadkauntilwe'rereadytoleave.If
anythinggoeswrongthen,thatshouldimprovetheoddsslightly.'
Curnowlookedthoughtful,andunusuallyhesitant,
'Whatisit?'askedFloyd,sensinghischangeofmood.
'Don'tevergivemeaway,butMaxwasthinkingofalittleonemanexpedition.'
'Ican'tbelievehewasserious.Hewouldn'tdareTanyawouldhavehimclappedin
irons.'
'That'swhatItoldhim,moreorless.'

'I'mdisappointed:Ithoughthewasalittlemoremature.Afterall,heisthirtytwo!'
'Thirtyone.Anyway,Italkedhimoutofit.Iremindedhimthatthiswasreallife,not
somestupidvideodramawheretheherosneaksoutintospacewithouttellinghis
companionsandmakestheBigDiscovery.'
NowitwasFloyd'sturntofeelalittleuncomfortable.Afterall,hehadbeenthinkingon
similarlines.
'Areyousurehewon'ttryanything?'
'Twohundredpercentsure.RememberyourprecautionswithHal?I'vealreadytaken
stepswithNina.Nobodyfliesherwithoutmypermission.'
'Istillcan'tbelieveit.AreyousureMaxwasn'tpullingyourleg?'
'Hissenseofhumourisn'tthatsubtle.Besides,bewasprettymiserableatthetime.'
'OhnowIunderstand.ItmusthavebeenwhenhehadthatrowwithZenia.Isuppose
hewantedtoimpressher.Anyway,theyseemtohavegotoverit.'
'I'mafraidso,'Curnowansweredwryly.FloydcouldnothelpsmilingCurnownoticedit,
andstartedtochuckle,whichmadeFloydlaugh,which...
Itwasasplendidexampleofpositivefeedbackinahighgainloop.Withinseconds,they
werebothlaughinguncontrollably.
Thecrisiswasover.Whatwasmore,theyhadtakenthefirststeptowardgenuine
friendship.
Theyhadexchangedvulnerabilities.

40
'Daisy,Daisy...'

Thesphereofconsciousnessinwhichhewasembeddedenclosedthewholeof
Jupiter'sdiamondcore.Hewasdimlyaware,atthelimitsofhisnewcomprehension,that
everyaspectoftheenvironmentaroundhimwasbeingprobedandanalysed.Immense
quantitiesofdatawerebeinggathered,notmerelyforstorageandcontemplation,butfor
action.Complexplanswerebeingconsideredandevaluateddecisionswerebeingmade

thatmightaffectthedestinyofworlds.Hewasnotyetpartoftheprocessbuthewould
be.

NOWYOUAREBEGINNINGTOUNDERSTAND.

Itwasthefirstdirectmessage.Thoughitwasremoteanddistant,likeavoicethrougha
cloud,itwasunmistakablyintendedforhim.Beforehecouldaskanyofthemyriad
questionsthatracedthroughhismind,therewasasenseofwithdrawal,andoncemore
hewasalone.
Butonlyforamoment.Closerandclearercameanotherthought,andforthefirsttime
herealizedthatmorethanoneentitywascontrollingandmanipulatinghim.Hewas
involvedinahierarchyofintelligences,somecloseenoughtohisownprimitiveleveltoact
asinterpreters.Orperhapstheywereallaspectsofasinglebeing.
Orperhapsthedistinctionwastotallymeaningless.
Ofonething,however,hewasnowsure.Hewasbeingusedasatool,andagoodtool
hadtobesharpened,modifiedadapted.Andtheverybesttoolswerethosethat
understoodwhattheyweredoing.
Hewaslearningthatnow.Itwasavastandawesomeconcept,andhewasprivileged
tobeapartofiteventhoughhewasawareofonlythemerestoutlines.Hehadno
choicebuttoobey,yetthatdidnotmeanthathemustacquiescetoeverydetail,atleast
withoutaprotest.
Hehadnotyetlostallhishumanfeelingthatwouldhavemadehimvalueless.Thesoul
ofDavidBowmanhadpassedbeyondlove,butitcouldstillknowcompassionforthose
whohadoncebeenhiscolleagues.
VERYWELLcametheanswertohisplea.Hecouldnottellwhetherthethought
conveyedanamusedcondescension,ortotalindifference.Buttherewasnodoubtofits
majesticauthorityasitcontinued:THEYMUSTNEVERKNOWTHATTHEYAREBEING
MANIPULATED.THATWOULDRUINTHEPURPOSEOFTHEEXPERIMENT.
Thentherewasasilencethathedidnotwishtobreachagain.Hewasstillawedand
shakenasif,foramoment,hehadheardtheclearvoiceofGod.
Nowhewasmovingpurelyunderhisownvolition,towardadestinationhehadchosen
himself.ThecrystalheartofJupiterfellbelowthelayersuponlayersofheliumand
hydrogenandcarbonaceouscompoundsflickeredpast.Hehadaglimpseofagreatbattle
betweensomethinglikeajellyfish,fiftykilometresacross,andaswarmofspinningdisks

thatmovedmoreswiftlythananythinghehadyetseenintheJovianskies.Thejellyfish
appearedtobedefendingitselfwithchemicalweaponsfromtimetotimeitwouldemitjets
ofcolouredgasandthediskstouchedbythevapourwouldstarttowobbledrunkenly,then
slipdownwardlikefallingleavesuntiltheyhaddisappearedfromsight.Hedidnotstopto
watchtheoutcomeheknewthatitdidnotmatterwhowerethevictorsandwhothe
vanquished.
Asasalmonleapsawaterfall,heflashedinsecondsfromJupitertoIo,againstthe
descendingelectriccurrentsofthefluxtube.Itwasquiescentthatdayonlythepowerofa
fewterrestrialthunderstormswasflowingbetweenplanetandsatellite.Thegateway
throughwhichhehadreturnedstillfloatedinthatcurrent,shoulderingitasideasithad
donesincethedawnofman.
Andthere,utterlydwarfedbythemonumentofagreatertechnology,wasthevessel
thathadbroughthimfromthelittleworldofhisbirth.
Howsimplehowcrude!itnowappeared.Withasinglescan,hecouldsee
innumerableflawsandabsurditiesinitsdesign,aswellasthatoftheslightlylessprimitive
shiptowhichitwasnowcoupledbyaflexible,airtighttube.
Itwashardtofocusuponthehandfulofentitiesinhabitingthetwoshipshecould
barelyinteractwiththesoftcreaturesoffleshandbloodwhodriftedlikeghoststhrough
themetalcorridorsandcabins.Fortheirpart,theyweretotallyunawareofhispresence,
andheknewbetterthantorevealhimselftooabruptly.
Buttherewassomeonewithwhomhecouldcommunicateinamutuallanguageof
electricfieldandcurrents,millionsoftimesmoreswiftlythanwithsluggishorganicbrains.
Evenifhehadbeencapableofresentment,hewouldhavefeltnonetowardHalhe
understood,then,thatthecomputerhadonlychosenwhatseemedtobethemostlogical
courseofbehaviour.
Itwastimetoresumeaconversationthathadbeeninterrupted,itseemed,only
momentsago.
'OpenthePodBaydoor,Hal.'
'I'msorry,DaveIcan'tdothat.'
'What'stheproblem,Hal?'
'IthinkyouknowthataswellasIdo,Dave.Thismissionismuchtooimportantforyou
tojeopardizeit.'
'Idon'tknowwhatyouaretalkingabout.OpenthePodBaydoor.'

'Thisconversationcanservenofurtherusefulpurpose.Goodbye,Dave.'
HesawFrankPoole'sbodygodriftingofftowardJupiter,asheabandonedhispointless
missionofretrieval.Stillrememberinghisangerathimselfforhavingforgottenhishelmet,
hewatchedtheemergencyhatchopen,feltthetinglingofvacuumontheskinheno
longerpossessed,heardhisearspopthenknew,asfewmenhadeverknown,'theutter
silenceofspace.Foraneternalfifteensecondshefoughttoclosethehatchandstartthe
repressurizationsequence,whiletryingtoignorethewarningsymptomspouringintohis
brain.Once,intheschoollab,hehadspilledsomeetheronhishandandfeltthetouchof
icycoldastheliquidswiftlyevaporated.Nowhiseyesandlipsrememberedthatsensation
astheirmoistureboiledoffintovacuumhisvisionwasblurredandhehadtokeep
blinkinglesthiseyeballsfreezesolid.
Thenwhatblessedrelief!heheardtheroarofair,felttherestorationofpressure,
wasabletobreatheagainingreat,hungrygasps.
'Justwhatdoyouthinkyouaredoing,Dave?'
Hehadnotanswered,ashedrovewithgrimdeterminationalongthetunnelleadingto
thesealedvaultthathousedthebrainofthecomputer.Halhadspokentruly:'This
conversationcannolongerserveanyusefulpurpose...'

'DaveIreallythinkI'mentitledtoananswertothatquestion.'

'DaveIcanseeyou'rereallyupsetaboutthis.Ihonestlythinkyououghttositdown
calmly,takeastresspill,andthinkthingsover.'

'IknowI'vemadesomeverypoordecisionsrecently,butIcangivemycomplete
assurancethatmyworkwillbebacktonormal,I'vestillgotthegreatestconfidenceinthe
mission...andIwanttohelpyou.'

Nowhewasinthelittleredlitchamber,withitsneatlyrangedrowsandcolumnsof
solidstateunits,lookingratherlikeabank'ssafedepositvault.Hereleasedthelocking
baronthesectionlabelledCOGNITIVEFEEDBACKandpulledoutthefirstmemory
block.Themarvellouslycomplexthreedimensionalnetwork,whichcouldliecomfortably
inaman'shandyetcontainedmillionsofelements,floatedawayacrossthevault.
'Stop,willyoustop,Dave...'

Hebegantopullout,onebyone,thelittleunitsonthepanelmarkedEGO
REINFORCEMENT.Eachblockcontinuedtosailonwardassoonasithadlefthishand,
untilithitthewallandrebounded.Soontherewereseveraldriftingslowlybackandforthin
thevault.
'StopDave...willyoustop,Dave.'
Adozenunitshadbeenpulledout,yetthankstothemultipleredundancyofitsdesign
anotherfeaturethathadbeencopiedfromthehumanbrainthecomputerwasstill
holdingitsown.
HestartedontheAUTOINTELLECTIONpanel...
'Stop,DaveI'mafraid...'
Andatthesewordshehadindeedstoppedthoughonlyforamoment.Therewasa
poignancyinthatsimplephrasethatstrucktohisheart.Coulditbeonlyanillusion,or
sometrickofsubtleprogrammingorwasthereasenseinwhichHalreallywasafraid?
Butthiswasnotimetoindulgeinphilosophicalhairsplitting.
'Davemymindisgoing.Icanfeelit.Icanfeelit.Mymindisgoing.Icanfeelit.Ican
feelit.'
Now,whatdid'feel'reallymeantoacomputer?Anotherverygoodquestion,buthardly
onetobeconsideredatthatparticularmoment.
Then,abruptly,thetempoofHal'svoicechanged,anditbecameremote,detached.The
computerwasnolongerawareofhimitwasbeginningtoregresstoitsearlierdays.
'Goodafternoon,gentlemen.IamaHAL9000computer.Ibecameoperationalatthe
HalplantinUrbana,Illinois,onthetwelfthofJanuary1992.MyinstructorwasDrChandra,
andhetaughtmetosingasong.Ifyou'dliketohearit,Icansingitforyou...It'scalled
"Daisy,Daisy..."'

41
GraveyardShift

Floydcoulddolittleexcepttokeepoutoftheway,andhewasbecomingfairlyadeptat
it.Althoughhehadvolunteeredtohelpwithanychoresaroundtheship,hehadquickly
discoveredthatalltheengineeringtasksweremuchtoospecialized,andhewasnowso

outoftouchwiththefrontiersofastronomicalresearchthathecoulddolittletoassist
Vasiliwithhisobservations.Nevertheless,therewereendlesssmalljobstobedone
aboardLeonovandDiscovery,andhewashappytorelievemoreimportantpeopleof
thoseresponsibilities.DrHeywoodFloyd,onetimeChairmanoftheNationalCouncilon
AstronauticsandChancellor(onleave)oftheUniversityofHawaii,nowclaimedtobethe
highestpaidplumberandgeneralmaintenancemanintheSolarSystem.Heprobably
knewmoreabouttheoddnooksandcranniesonbothshipsthananyoneelsetheonly
placeshehadneverbeenwerethedangerouslyradioactivepowermodulesandthesmall
cubicleaboardLeonovwhichnooneexceptTanyaeverentered.Floydassumedthatit
wasthecoderoombymutualagreementitwasnevermentioned.
Perhapshismostusefulfunctionwastoserveaswatchwhiletherestofthecrewslept
duringthenominal22000600hournight.Someonewasalwaysondutyaboardeach
ship,andthechangeovertookplaceattheghastlyhourof0200.Onlythecaptainwas
exemptfromthatroutineasherNumberTwo(nottomentionherhusband),Vasilihadthe
responsibilityforworkingoutthewatchroster,buthehadskilfullyfoistedthisunpopular
jobonFloyd.
'It'sjustanadministrativedetail,'heexplainedairily.'Ifyoucantakeitover,I'dbevery
gratefulitwouldleavememoretimeformyscientificwork.'
Floydwastooexperiencedabureaucrattobecaughtthatway,innormal
circumstancesbuthisusualdefencesdidnotalwaysfunctionwellinthatenvironment.
SotherehewasaboardDiscoveryatship'smidnight,callingMaxonLeonoveveryhalf
hourtocheckthathewasawake.Theofficialpenaltyforsleepingonduty,soWalter
Curnowmaintained,wasejectionthroughtheairlocksanssuithadthisbeenenforced,
Tanyawouldhavebeensadlyshorthandedbythen.Butsofewrealemergenciescould
ariseinspace,andthereweresomanyautomaticalarmstodealwiththem,thatnoone
tookwatchdutyveryseriously.
Sincehewasnolongerfeelingquitesosorryforhimself,andthesmallhoursnolonger
encouragedboutsofselfpity,Floydwasonceagainusinghiswatchtimeprofitably.There
werealwaysbookstoberead(hehadabandonedRemembranceofThingsPastforthe
thirdtime,DrZhivagoforthesecond),technicalpaperstobestudied,reportstobe
written.AndsometimeshewouldhavestimulatingconversationswithHalusingthe
keyboardinputbecausethecomputer'svoicerecognitionwasstillerratic.Theyusually
wentsomethinglike:

HalthisisDrFloyd.

GOODEVENING,DOCTOR.

I'mtakingoverwatchat2200.Iseverythingokay?

EVERYTHINGISFINE,DOCTOR

ThenwhyisthatredlightflashingonPanel5?

THEMONITORCAMERAINTHEPODBAYISFAULTY.WALTERTOLDMETO
IGNOREIT.THEREISNOWAYINWHICHICANSWITCHITOFF.I'MSORRY.

That'squiteokay,Hal.Thankyou.

YOU'REWELCOME,DOCTOR.

Andsoon.
SometimesHalwouldsuggestagameofchess,presumablyobeyingaprogramming
instructionsetlongagoandnevercancelled.Floydwouldnotacceptthechallengehe
hadalwaysregardedchessasafrightfulwasteoftime,andhadneverevenlearnedthe
rulesofthegame.Halseemedunabletobelievethattherewerehumanswhocouldn'tor
wouldn'tplaychess,andkeptontryinghopefully.
Herewegoagain,thoughtFloyd,whenafaintchimesoundedfromthedisplaypanel.

DOCTORFLOYD?

Whatisit,Hal?

THEREISAMESSAGEFORYOU.

Soitisn'tanotherchallenge,thoughtFloydwithmildsurprise.Itwasunusualtoemploy
Halasamessengerboy,thoughhewasfrequentlyusedasanalarmclockanda
reminderofjobstobedone.Andsometimeshewasthemediumforlittlejokesalmost
everyoneonnightdutyhadbeentauntedby

HACAUGHTYOUSLEEPING!

oralternatively

OGO!ZASTALTEBYAVKROVATI!

Nooneeverclaimedresponsibilityforthesepranks,thoughWalterCurnowwasaprime
suspect.HeinturnhadblamedHal,poohpoohingChandra'sindignantproteststhatthe
computerhadnosenseofhumour.
ItcouldnotbeamessagefromEarththatwouldhavegonethroughLeonov's
communicationcentreandbeenrelayedonbythedutyofficerthereatthatmoment,Max
Brailovsky.Andanyoneelsecallingfromtheothershipwouldusetheintercom.Odd...

Okay,Hal.Whoiscalling?

NOIDENTIFICATION.

Soitprobablywasajoke.Well,twocouldplayatthatgame.

Verywell.Pleasegivemethemessage.

MESSAGEASFOLLOWS.ITISDANGEROUSTOREMAINHERE.YOUMUST
LEAVEWITHINFIFTEENREPEATFIFTEENDAYS.

Floydlookedatthescreenwithannoyance.Hefeltsorry,andsurprised,thatanyoneof
thecrewhadsuchachildishsenseofhumourthiswasnotevenagoodschoolboyjoke.
Buthewouldplayalongwithitinthehopeofcatchingtheperpetrator.

Thatisabsolutelyimpossible.Ourlaunchwindowdoesnotopenuntiltwentysixdays
fromnow.Wedonothavesufficientpropellantforanearlierdeparture.

Thatwillmakehimthink,Floydmutteredtohimselfwithsatisfaction,andleanedbackto
awaittheresults.

IAMAWAREOFTHESEFACTS.NEVERTHELESSYOUMUSTLEAVEWITHIN
FIFTEENDAYS.

Otherwise,Isuppose,we'llbeattackedbylittlegreenalienswiththreeeyes.ButI'd
betterplayalongwithHal,inthehopeofcatchingtheprankster.

IcannottakethiswarningseriouslyunlessIknowitsorigin.Whorecordedit?

Hedidnotreallyexpectanyusefulinformation.Theperpetratorwouldhavecoveredhis
(her?)trackstooskilfullyforthat.TheverylastthingFloydexpectedwastheanswerhe
didget.

THISISNOTARECORDING.

Soitwasarealtimemessage.ThatmeantitwaseitherfromHalhimselforsomeone
aboardLeonov.Therewasnoperceptibletimelagtheoriginhadtoberightthere.

Thenwhoisspeakingtome?

IWASDAVIDBOWMAN.

Floydstaredatthescreenforalongtimebeforemakinghisnextmove.Thejoke,which
hadneverbeenfunnyinthefirstplace,hadnowgonetoofar.Itwasintheworstpossible
taste.Well,thisshouldfixwhoeverwasattheotherendoftheline.

Icannotacceptthatidentificationwithoutsomeproof.

IUNDERSTAND.ITISIMPORTANTTHATYOUBELIEVEME.LOOKBEHINDYOU.

Evenbeforethatlastchillingsentenceappearedonthescreen,Floydhadbegunto
doubthishypothesis.Thewholeexchangehadbecomeveryodd,thoughtherewas
nothingdefiniteonwhichhecouldputhisfinger.Asajoke,ithadbecometotallypointless.
Andnowhefeltapricklinginthesmallofhisback.Veryslowly indeed,reluctantly
heswunghisswivelchairaround,awayfromthebankedpanelsandswitchesofthe
computerdisplay,towardtheVelcrocoveredcatwalkbehind.
ThezerogravityenvironmentofDiscovery'sobservationdeckwasalwaysdusty,forthe
airfiltrationplanthadneverbeenbroughtbacktofullefficiency.Theparallelraysofthe
heatlessyetstillbrilliantsun,streamingthroughthegreatwindows,alwayslitupmyriads
ofdancingmotes,driftinginstraycurrentsandneversettlinganywhereapermanent
displayofBrownianmovement.

Nowsomethingstrangewashappeningtothoseparticlesofdustsomeforceseemed
tobemarshallingthem,herdingthemawayfromacentralpointyetbringingotherstoward
it,untiltheyallmetonthesurfaceofahollowsphere.Thatsphere,aboutametreacross,
hoveredintheairforamomentlikeagiantsoapbubblebutagranularone,lackinga
bubble'scharacteristiciridescence.Thenitelongatedintoanellipsoid,itssurfacebeganto
pucker,toformfoldsandindentations.
Withoutsurpriseandalmostwithoutfear Floydrealizedthatitwasassumingthe
shapeofaman.
Hehadseensuchfigures,blownoutofglass,inmuseumsandscienceexhibitions.But
thisdustyphantomdidnotevenapproximateanatomicalaccuracyitwaslikeacrudeclay
figurine,oroneoftheprimitiveworksofartfoundintherecessesofaStoneAgecave.
Onlytheheadwasfashionedwithanycareandtheface,undoubtedly,wasthatof
CommanderDavidBowman.
TherewasafaintmurmurofwhitenoisefromthecomputerpanelbehindFloyd'sback.
Halwasswitchingfromvisualtoaudiooutput.
'Hello,DrFloyd.Nowdoyoubelieveme?'
Thelipsofthefigurenevermovedthefaceremainedamask.ButFloydrecognizedthe
voice,andallremainingdoubtsweresweptaway.
'Thisisverydifficultforme,andIhavelittletime.Ihavebeen...allowedtogivethis
warning.Youhaveonlyfifteendays.'
'Butwhyandwhatareyou?Wherehaveyoubeen?'
Therewereamillionquestionshewantedtoaskyettheghostlyfigurewasalready
fading,itsgrainyenvelopebeginningtodissolvebackintotheconstituentparticlesofdust.
Floydtriedtofreezetheimageinhismind,sothatlaterhecouldconvincehimselfthatit
wasreallyhappeningandnotadreamasthatfirstencounterwithTMA1now
sometimesseemedtobe.
Howstrange,thathe,outofallthebillionsofhumanswhohadeverlivedonplanet
Earth,hadbeenprivilegedtomakecontactnotoncebuttwicewithanotherformof
intelligence!Forheknewthattheentityaddressinghimmustbesomethingfarmorethan
DavidBowman.
Itwasalsosomethingless.Onlytheeyeswhohadoncecalledthemthe'windowsof
thesoul'?hadbeenaccuratelyreproduced.Therestofthebodywasafeaturelessblank,
lackingalldetail.Therewasnohintofgenitalsorsexualcharacteristicsthatinitselfwasa
chillingindicationofhowfarDavidBowmanhadlefthishumanheritagebehind.

'Goodbye,DrFloyd.Rememberfifteendays.Wecanhavenofurthercontact.But
theremaybeonemoremessage,ifallgoeswell.'
Evenastheimagedissolved,takingwithithishopesofopeningupachanneltothe
stars,FloydcouldnothelpsmilingatthatoldSpaceAgeclich.'Ifallgoeswell'how
manytimeshadheheardthatphrasebeforesomemission!Anddiditmeanthatthey
whoevertheymightbewerealsosometimesuncertainoftheoutcome?Ifso,thatwas
strangelyreassuring.Theywerenotomnipotent.Othersmightstillhopeanddream and
act.
Thephantomwasgoneonlythemotesofdancingdustwereleft,resumingtheir
randompatternsintheair.

VI
DEVOUREROFWORLDS

42
TheGhostintheMachine

'I'msorry,HeywoodIdon'tbelieveinghosts.Theremustbearationalexplanation.
There'snothingthatthehumanmindcan'taccountfor.'
'Iagree,Tanya.ButletmeremindyouofHaldane'sfamousremark:TheUniverseisnot
onlystrangerthanweimaginebutstrangerthanwecanimagine.'
'AndHaldane,'Curnowinterjectedmischievously,'wasagoodCommunist.'
'Perhapsso,butthatparticularsayingcanbeusedtosupportallkindsofmystical
nonsense.Hal'sbehaviourmustbetheresultofsomekindofprogramming.The
personalityhecreatedhastobeanartifactofsomekind.Don'tyouagree,Chandra?'
ThatwaswavingaredflaginfrontofabullTanyahadtobedesperate.However,
Chandra'sreactionwassurprisinglymild,evenforhim.Heseemedtobepreoccupied,as
ifhewasindeedseriouslyconsideringthepossibilityofanothercomputermalfunction.
'Theremusthavebeensomeexternalinput,CaptainOrlova.Halcouldnothavecreated
suchaselfconsistentaudiovisualillusionoutofnothing.IfDrFloydisreporting

accurately,someonewasincontrol.Andinrealtime,ofcourse,sincetherewasnodelay
intheconversation.'
'Thatmakesmenumberonesuspect,'exclaimedMax.'Iwastheonlyotherperson
awake.'
'Don'tberidiculous,Max,'retortedNikolai.'Theaudiosidewouldhavebeeneasy,but
there'snowaythatapparitioncouldhavebeenarranged,withoutsomeveryelaborate
equipment.Laserbeams,electrostaticfieldsIdon'tknow.Maybeastagemagiciancould
doit,buthe'dneedatruckloadofprops.'
'Justamoment!'saidZeniabrightly.'Ifthisreallyhappened,surelyHalwillremember
andyoucouldask...'
Hervoicediedawayasshesawtheglumexpressionsaroundher.Floydwasthefirstto
takepityonherembarrassment.
'Wetriedthat,Zeniahehasabsolutelynorecollectionofthephenomenon.ButasI've
alreadypointedouttotheothers,thatdoesn'tproveanything.Chandra'sshownhowHal's
memoriescanbeselectivelyerasedandtheauxiliaryspeechsynthesizermoduleshave
nothingtodowiththemainframe.TheycouldbeoperatedwithoutHalknowinganything
aboutit...'Hepausedforbreath,thenlaunchedhispreemptivestrike.
'Iadmitthatthisdoesn'tleavemanyalternatives.EitherIwasimaginingthewholething,
oritreallyhappened.Iknowitwasn'tadream,butIcan'tbesureitwasn'tsomekindof
hallucination.ButKaterina'sseenmymedicalreportssheknowsIwouldn'tbehereifI
hadthatsortofproblem.Still,itcan'tberuledoutandIwon'tblameanyoneformakingit
theirnumberonehypothesis.I'dprobablydothesame.
'TheonlywayIcanproveitwasn'tadreamistogetsomesupportingevidence.Solet
meremindyouoftheotherstrangethingsthathavehappenedrecently.Weknowthat
DaveBowmanwentintoBigBroZagadka.Somethingcameout,andheadedforEarth.
VasilisawitIdidn't!Thentherewasthemysteriousexplosionofyourorbitingbomb,
'Yours.'
'SorrytheVatican's,AnditdoesseemrathercuriousthatsoonafterwardoldMrs
Bowmandiedverypeacefully,fornoapparentmedicalreason.I'mnotsayingthere'sany
connection,butwell,doyouknowthesaying:Onceisanaccidenttwiceisa
coincidencethreetimesisaconspiracy.'
'Andthere'ssomethingelse,'Maxinterjectedwithsuddenexcitement,'Icaughtitonone
ofthedailynewscastsitwasonlyasmallitem.AnoldgirlfriendofCommander
Bowman'sclaimedshe'dhadamessagefromhim.'
'YesIsawthesamereport,'confirmedSasha.

'Andyounevermentionedit?'Floydaskedincredulously.Bothmenlookedslightly
abashed.
'Well,itwastreatedasajoke,'saidMaxsheepishly.'Thewoman'shusbandreportedit.
ThenshedenieditIthink.'
'ThecommentatorsaiditwasapublicitystuntliketherashofUFOsightingsaround
thesametime.Thereweredozensinthatfirstweekthentheystoppedreportingthem.'
'Perhapssomeofthemwerereal.Ifit'snotbeenwiped,couldyoudigthatitemoutof
ship'sarchives,oraskforarepeatfromMissionControl?'
'Ahundredtaleswon'tconvinceme,'scoffedTanya.'Whatweneedissolidproof.'
'Suchas?'
'OhsomethingthatHalcouldn'tpossiblyknow,andthatnoneofuscouldhavetold
him.Somephysicaler,manifes...manifestation.'
'Agood,oldfashionedmiracle?'
'Yes,I'dsettleforthat.Meanwhile,I'mnotsayinganythingtoMissionControl.AndI
suggestyoudothesame,Heywood.'
Floydknewadirectorderwhenheheardit,andnoddedinwryagreement.
'I'llbemorethanhappytogoalongwiththat.ButI'dliketomakeonesuggestion.'
'Yes?'
'Weshouldstartcontingencyplanning.Let'sassumethatthiswarningisvalidasI
certainlydo.'
'Whatcanwedoaboutit?Absolutelynothing.Ofcourse,wecanleaveJupiterspace
anytimewelikebutwecan'tgetintoanEarthreturnorbituntilthelaunchwindowopens.'
'That'selevendaysafterthedeadline!'
'Yes.I'dbehappytogetawaysoonerbutwedon'thavethefuelforahigherenergy
orbit...'Tanya'svoicetrailedawayintouncharacteristicindecision.'Iwasgoingto
announcethislater,butnowthatthesubjecthascomeup...'
Therewasasimultaneousintakeofbreath,andaninstanthushfromtheaudience.

'I'dliketodelayourdeparturefivedays,tomakeourorbitclosertotheidealHohmann
oneandgiveusabetterfuelreserve.'
Theannouncementwasnotunexpected,butitwasgreetedwithachorusofgroans.
'Whatwillthatdotoourarrivaltime?'askedKaterina,inaslightlyominoustoneof
voice.Thetwoformidableladiesregardedeachotherforamomentlikewellmatched
adversaries,respectfulofeachotherbutneitherwillingtogiveground.
'Tendays,'Tanyaansweredatlast.
'Betterlatethannever,'saidMaxcheerfully,tryingtoeasethetension,andnot
succeedingverywell.
Floydhardlynoticedhewaslostinhisownthoughts.Thedurationofthetripwould
makenodifferencetohimandhistwocolleagues,intheirdreamlesssleep.Butthatwas
nowcompletelyunimportant.
Hefeltcertainandtheknowledgefilledhimwithhelplessdespairthatiftheydidnot
leavebeforethatmysteriousdeadline,theywouldnotleaveatall.

'...Thisisanincrediblesituation,Dimitri,andaveryfrighteningone.You'retheonly
persononEarthwhoknowsaboutitbutverysoonTanyaandIwillhavetohavea
showdownwithMissionControl.
'Evensomeofyourmaterialisticcountrymenarepreparedtoacceptatleastasa
workinghypothesisthatsomeentityhaswell,invadedHal.Sashahasdugupagood
phrase:"TheGhostintheMachine".
'TheoriesaboundVasiliproducesanewoneeveryday.Mostofthemarevariationson
thatoldsciencefictionclich,theorganizedenergyfield.Butwhatkindofenergy?Itcan't
beelectrical,orourinstrumentswouldhavedetectediteasily.Thesamethingappliesto
radiationatleastallthekindsweknow.Vasili'sgettingreallyfarout,talkingabout
standingwavesofneutrinosandintersectionswithhigherdimensionalspace.Tanyasays
thisisallmysticalnonsenseafavouritephraseofhersandthey'vecomeclosertoa
fightthanwe'veeverseenthem.Weactuallyheardthemshoutingateachotherlastnight.
Notgoodformorale.
'I'mafraidwe'realltenseandoverwrought.Thiswarning,andthedelayeddeparture
date,hasaddedtothesenseoffrustrationcausedbyourtotalfailuretogetanywherewith
BigBrother.ItwouldhavehelpedmaybeifIcouldhavecommunicatedwiththe
Bowmanthing.Iwonderwhereit'sgone?Perhapsitsimplywasn'tinterestedinusafter
thatoneencounter.Whatitcouldhavetoldus,ifitwantedto!Hellandchyortvozmi!
DamnI'mtalkingSasha'shatedRusslishagain.Let'schangethesubject.

'Ican'tthankyoutoomuchforeverythingyou'vedone,andforreportingonthesituation
athome.Ifeelslightlybetteraboutitnowhavingsomethingevenbiggertoworryabout
isperhapsthebestcureforanyinsolubleproblem.
'Forthefirsttime,I'mbeginningtowonderifanyofuswilleverseeEarthagain.'

43
ThoughtExperiment

Whenonespendsmonthswithasmall,isolatedgroupofpeople,onebecomesvery
sensitivetothemoodsandemotionalstatesofallitsmembers.Floydwasnowawareofa
subtlechangeinattitudetowardhimitsmostobviousmanifestationwasthe
reappearanceofthegreeting'DrFloyd',whichhehadnotheardforsolongthathewas
oftenslowtorespondtoit.
Noone,hewassure,believedthathehadreallygonecrazybutthepossibilitywas
beingconsidered.Hedidnotresentthatindeed,hewasgrimlyamusedbyitasheset
aboutthetaskofprovinghissanity.
HedidhavesomeslightsupportingevidencefromEarth.JosFernandezstill
maintainedthathiswifehadreportedanencounterwithDavidBowman,whileshe
continuedtodenyitandrefusedtospeaktoanyofthenewsmedia.Itwashardtosee
whypoorJosshouldhaveinventedsuchapeculiarstory,especiallyasBettyseemeda
verystubbornandquicktemperedlady.Fromhishospitalbed,herhusbanddeclaredthat
hestilllovedherandtheirswasonlyatemporarydisagreement.
FloydhopedthatTanya'spresentcoolnesstowardhimwasequallytemporary.Hewas
quitesurethatshewasasunhappyaboutitashewas,andhewascertainthather
attitudewasnotamatterofdeliberatechoice.Somethinghadhappenedthatsimplywould
notfitintoherpatternofbeliefs,soshewouldtrytoavoidanyremindersofit.Which
meanthavingaslittletodowithFloydaspossibleaveryunfortunatesituationnowthat
themostcriticalstageofthemissionwasfastapproaching.
IthadnotbeeneasytoexplainthelogicofTanya'soperationalplantothewaiting
billionsbackonEarthespeciallytotheimpatienttelevisionnetworks,whichhadgrown
tiredofshowingthesameneverchangingviewsofBigBrother.'You'vegoneallthisway,
atenormouscost,andyoujustsitandwatchthething!Whydon'tyoudosomething?'To
allthesecriticsTanyahadgiventhesameanswer:'Iwilljustassoonasthelaunch
windowopens,sothatwecanleaveimmediatelyifthere'sanyadversereaction.'

PlansforthefinalassaultonBigBrotherhadalreadybeenworkedoutandagreedupon
withMissionControl.Leonovwouldmoveinslowly,probingatallfrequencies,andwith
steadilyincreasingpowerconstantlyreportingbacktoEarthateverymoment.When
finalcontactwasmade,theywouldtrytosecuresamplesbydrillingorlaserspectroscopy
noonereallyexpectedtheseendeavourstosucceed,asevenafteradecadeofstudy
TMA1resistedallattemptstoanalyseitsmaterial.Thebesteffortsofhumanscientistsin
thisdirectionseemedcomparabletothoseofStoneAgementryingtobreakthroughthe
armourofabankvaultwithflintaxes.
Finally,echosoundersandotherseismicdeviceswouldbeattachedtothefacesofBig
Brother.Alargecollectionofadhesiveshadbeenbroughtalongforthepurpose,andif
theydidnotworkwell,onecouldalwaysfallbackonafewkilometresofgood,old
fashionedstring,eventhoughthereseemedsomethingfaintlycomicabouttheideaof
wrappinguptheSolarSystem'sgreatestmystery,asifitwereaparcelabouttobesent
throughthemail.
NotuntilLeonovwaswellonthewayhomewouldsmallexplosivechargesbe
detonated,inthehopethatthewavespropagatedthroughBigBrotherwouldreveal
somethingaboutitsinteriorstructure.Thislastmeasurehadbeenhotlydebated,bothby
thosewhoarguedthatitwouldgeneratenoresultsatallandthosewhofeareditwould
producealtogethertoomany.
Foralongtime,Floydhadwaveredbetweenthetwoviewpointsnowthematter
seemedonlyoftrivialimportance.
ThetimeforfinalcontactwithBigBrotherthegreatmomentthatshouldhavebeenthe
climaxoftheexpeditionwasonthewrongsideofthemysteriousdeadline.Heywood
Floydwasconvincedthatitbelongedtoafuturethatwouldneverexistbuthecouldget
noonetoagreewithhim.
Andthatwastheleastofhisproblems.Eveniftheydidagree,therewasnothingthat
theycoulddoaboutit.
WalterCurnowwasthelastpersonhewouldhaveexpectedtoresolvethedilemma.
ForWalterwasalmosttheepitomeofthesound,practicalengineer,suspiciousofflashes
ofbrillianceandtechnologicalquickfixes.Noonewouldeveraccusehimofbeinga
geniusandsometimesitrequiredgeniustoseetheblindinglyobvious.
'Considerthispurelyasanintellectualexercise,'hehadbegun,withmost
uncharacteristichesitancy.'I'mquitepreparedtobeshotdown.'
'Goon,'answeredFloyd.'I'llhearyououtpolitely.That'stheleastIcandoeveryone's
beenverypolitetome.Toopolite,I'mafraid.'
Curnowgavealopsidedgrin.

'Canyoublamethem?Butifit'sanyconsolation,atleastthreepeoplenowtakeyou
quiteseriously,andarewonderingwhatweshoulddo.'
'Doesthatthreeincludeyou?'
'NoI'msittingonthefence,whichisneverterriblycomfortable.Butincaseyou'reright
Idon'twanttowaithereandtakewhatever'scoming.Ibelievethere'sananswerto
everyproblem,ifyoulookintherightplace.'
'I'llbedelightedtohearit.I'vebeenlookinghardenough.Presumablynotintheright
place.'
'Perhaps.Ifwewanttomakeaquickgetawaysayinfifteendays,tobeatthatdeadline
we'llneedanextradeltaveeofaboutthirtykilometresasecond.'
'SoVasilicalculates.Ihaven'tbotheredtocheck,butI'msurehe'sright.Afterall,hegot
ushere.'
'Andhecouldgetusawayifwehadtheadditionalpropellant.'
'AndifwehadaStarTrekbeamtransporter,wecouldgetbacktoEarthinanhour.'
'I'lltryandrigoneupthenexttimeIhaveasparemoment.Butmeanwhile,mayIpoint
outthatwehaveseveralhundredtonsofthebestpossiblepropellant,onlyafewmetres
awayinDiscovery'sfueltanks.'
'We'vebeenthroughthatdozensoftimes.There'sabsolutelynowayoftransferringitto
Leonov.We'venopipelinesnosuitablepumps.Andyoucan'tcarryliquidammonia
aroundinbuckets,eveninthispartoftheSolarSystem.'
'Exactly.Butthere'snoneedtodoso.'
'Eh?'
'Burnitrightwhereitis.UseDiscoveryasafirststage,toboostushome.'
IfanyoneexceptWalterCurnowhadmadethesuggestion,Floydwouldhavelaughed
athim.Asitwas,hismouthdroppedopenanditwasseveralsecondsbeforehecould
thinkofasuitablecomment.Whatfinallyemergedwas:'Damn.Ishouldhavethoughtof
that.'
Sashawasthefirsttheyapproached.Helistenedpatiently,pursedhislips,thenplayed
arallentandoonhiscomputerkeyboard.Whentheanswersflashedup,henodded
thoughtfully.

'You'reright.Itwouldgiveustheextravelocityweneedtoleaveearly.Butthereare
practicalproblems'
'Weknow.Fasteningtheshipstogether.TheoffaxisthrustwhenonlyDiscovery'sdrive
isoperating.Cuttinglooseagainatthecriticalmoment.Butthereareanswerstoallof
these.'
'Iseeyou'vebeendoingyourhomework.Butit'sawasteoftime.You'llneverconvince
Tanya.'
'Idon'texpecttoatthisstage,'Floydanswered.'ButI'dlikehertoknowthatthe
possibilityexists.Willyougiveusmoralsupport?'
'I'mnotsure.ButI'llcomealongtowatchitshouldbeinteresting.'
TanyalistenedmorepatientlythanFloydhadexpected,butwithdistinctlackof
enthusiasm.However,bythetimehehadfinished,sheshowedwhatcouldonlybecalled
reluctantadmiration.
'Veryingenious,Heywood,
'Don'tcongratulateme.AllthecreditshouldgotoWalter.Ortheblame.'
'Idon'timaginetherewillbemuchofeitheritcanneverbemorethanawhatdid
Einsteincallthatsortofthing?"thoughtexperiment".Oh,Isuspectitwouldworkin
theory,atleast.Buttherisks!Somanythingscouldgowrong.I'donlybepreparedto
consideritifwehadabsoluteandpositiveproofthatwewereindanger.Andwithall
respect,Heywood,Iseenottheslightestevidenceofthat.'
'Fairenoughbutatleastyounowknowthatwehaveanotheroption.Doyoumindifwe
workoutthepracticaldetailsjustincase?'
'Ofcoursenotaslongasitdoesn'tinterferewiththepreflightcheckout.Idon'tmind
admittingthattheideadoesintrigueme.Butit'sreallyawasteoftimethere'snowayI'd
everapproveit.UnlessDavidBowmanappearedtomepersonally.'
'Wouldyoueventhen,Tanya?'
CaptainOrlovasmiled,butwithoutmuchhumour.'Youknow,HeywoodI'mreallynot
sure.He'dhavetobeverypersuasive.'

44
VanishingTrick

Itwasafascinatinggameinwhicheveryonejoinedbutonlywhenoffduty.Even
Tanyacontributedideastothe'thoughtexperiment',asshecontinuedtocallit.
Floydwasperfectlywellawarethatalltheactivitywasgeneratednotbyfearofan
unknowndangerthatonlyhetookseriously,butbythedelightfulprospectofreturningto
Earthatleastamonthearlierthananyonehadimagined.Whateverthemotive,hewas
satisfied.Hehaddonehisbest,andtherestwasuptotheFates.
Therewasonepieceofluck,withoutwhichthewholeprojectwouldhavebeenstillborn.
Theshort,stubbyLeonov,designedtodrillsafelythroughtheJovianatmosphereduring
thebrakingmanoeuvre,waslessthanhalfthelengthofDiscoveryandsocouldbeneatly
piggybackedonthelargervessel,Andthemidshipsantennamountwouldprovidean
excellentanchorpointassumingthatitwasstrongenoughtotakethestrainofLeonov's
weightwhileDiscovery'sdrivewasoperating.
MissionControlwassorelypuzzledbysomeoftherequestsflashedbacktoEarth
duringthenextfew'days.Stressanalysesofbothships,underpeculiarloadseffectsof
offaxisthrustslocationofunusuallystrongorweakpointsinthehullsthesewereonly
someofthemoreesotericproblemstheperplexedengineerswereaskedtotackle.'Has
somethinggonewrong?'theyinquiredanxiously.
'Notatall,'Tanyareplied.'We'remerelyinvestigatingpossibleoptions.Thankyoufor
yourcooperation.Endoftransmission.'
Meanwhile,theprogrammewentaheadasplanned.Allsystemswerecarefullychecked
inbothships,andreadiedfortheseparatevoyageshomeVasiliransimulationsonreturn
trajectoriesandChandrafedthemtoHalwhentheyhadbeendebuggedgettingHalto
makeafinalcheckintheprocess.AndTanyaandFloydworkedamicablytogether
orchestratingtheapproachtoBigBrotherlikegeneralsplanninganinvasion.
Itwaswhathehadcomeallthewaytodo,yetFloyd'sheartwasnolongerinit.Hehad
undergoneanexperiencehecouldsharewithnooneeventhosewhobelievedhim.
Thoughhecarriedouthisdutiesefficiently,muchofthetimehismindwaselsewhere.
Tanyaunderstoodperfectly.
'You'restillhopingforthatmiracletoconvinceme,aren'tyou?'
'Ordeconvincemethatwouldbeequallyacceptable.It'stheuncertaintythatIdislike.'
'SodoI.Butitwon'tbemuchlongernowonewayortheother.'

Sheglancedbrieflytowardthesituationdisplay,wherethefigure20wasslowly
flashing.Itwasthemostunnecessarybitofinformationintheentireship,sinceeveryone
knewbyheartthenumberofdaysuntilthelaunchwindowopened.
AndtheassaultonZagadkawasscheduled.

Forthesecondtime,HeywoodFloydwaslookingtheotherwaywhenithappened.But
itwouldhavemadenodifferenceinanycaseeventhevigilantmonitorcamerashowed
onlyafaintblurbetweenonefullframeandthesubsequentblankone.
OncemorehewasondutyaboardDiscovery,sharingthegraveyardshiftwithSasha
overonLeonov.Asusual,thenighthadbeentotallyuneventfultheautomaticsystems
wereperformingtheirjobswiththeirnormalefficiency.Floydwouldneverhavebelieved,a
yearago,thathewouldonedayorbitJupiteratadistanceofafewhundredthousand
kilometresandgiveitbarelyaglancewhiletryingnotverysuccessfully,toreadThe
KreutzerSonataintheoriginal.AccordingtoSasha,itwasstillthefinestpieceoferotic
fictionin(respectable)Russianliterature,butFloydhadnotyetprogressedfarenoughto
provethat.Andnowheneverwould.
At0125hewasdistractedbyaspectacular,thoughnotunusual,eruptiononthe
terminatorofIo.Avastumbrellashapedcloudexpandedintospace,andstartedto
showeritsdebrisbackontotheburninglandbelow.Floydhadseendozensofsuch
eruptions,buttheyneverceasedtofascinatehim.Itseemedincrediblethatsosmalla
worldcouldbetheseatofsuchtitanicenergies.
Togetabetterview,hemovedaroundtooneoftheotherobservationwindows.And
whathesawthereor,rather,whathedidnotseetheremadehimforgetaboutIo,and
almosteverythingelse.
Whenhehadrecovered,andsatisfiedhimselfthathewasnotsufferingagain?from
hallucinations,hecalledtheothership.
'Goodmorning,Woody,'yawnedSasha.'NoIwasn'tasleep.Howareyougettingon
witholdTolstoi?'
'I'mnot.Takealookoutsideandtellmewhatyousee.'
'Nothingunusual,forthispartofthecosmos.Iodoingitsthing.Jupiter.Stars.Ohmy
God!'
'ThanksforprovingI'msane.We'dbetterwaketheskipper.'
'Ofcourse.Andeveryoneelse.WoodyI'mscared.'

'You'dbeafoolnottobe.Herewego.Tanya?Tanya?Woodyhere.Sorrytowakeyou
upbutyourmiracle'shappened.BigBrotherhasgone.Yesvanished.Afterthreemillion
years,he'sdecidedtoleave.
'Ithinkhemustknowsomethingthatwedon't.'
Itwasasombrelittlegroupthatgathered,duringthenextfifteenminutes,forahasty
conferenceinthewardroomcumobservationlounge.Eventhosewhohadjustgoneto
sleepwereinstantlyawake,astheysippedthoughtfullyfrombulbsofhotcoffeeandkept
glancingattheshockinglyunfamiliarsceneoutsideLeonov'swindows,toconvince
themselvesthatBigBrotherhadindeedvanished.
'Itmustknowsomethingthatwedon't.'ThatspontaneousphraseofFloyd'shadbeen
repeatedbySashaandnowhungsilently,ominously,intheair.Hehadsummedupwhat
everyonewasnowthinkingevenTanya.
Itwasstilltooearlytosay'Itoldyouso'nordiditreallymatterwhetherthatwarning
hadanyvalidity.Evenifitwasperfectlysafetostay,therewasnopointindoingso.With
nothingtoinvestigate,theymightaswellgohome,justasquicklyaspossible.Yetitwas
notquiteassimpleasthat.
'Heywood,'saidTanya,'I'mnowpreparedtotakethatmessage,orwhateveritwas,
muchmoreseriously.I'dbestupidnottoafterwhat'shappened.Butevenifthereis
dangerhere,westillhavetoweighoneriskagainstanother.CouplingLeonovand
Discoverytogether,operatingDiscoverywiththathugeoffaxisload,disconnectingthe
shipsinamatterofminutessowecanfireourenginesattherightmomentno
responsiblecaptainwouldtakesuchchanceswithoutverygoodI'dsayoverwhelming
reasons.Evennow,Idon'thavesuchreasons.I'veonlygotthewordof...aghost.Not
verygoodevidenceinacourtoflaw.'
'Oracourtofinquiry,'saidWalterCurnow,inanunusuallyquietvoice,'evenifweall
backedyouup.'
'Yes,WalterIwasthinkingofthat.Butifwegethomesafely,thatwilljustifyeverything
andifwedon't,ithardlymatters,doesit?Anyway,I'mnotgoingtodecidenow.Assoon
aswe'vereportedthis,I'mgoingbacktobed.I'llgiveyoumydecisioninthemorningafter
I'vesleptonit.Heywood,Sasha,willyoucomeuptothebridgewithme?Wehaveto
wakeupMissionControl,beforeyougobackonwatch.'

Thenighthadnotyetfinishedwithitssurprises.SomewherearoundtheorbitofMars,
Tanya'sbriefreportpassedamessagegoingintheoppositedirection.
BettyFernandezhadtalkedatlast,BoththeCIAandtheNationalSecurityAgency
werefurioustheircombinedblandishments,appealstopatriotism,andveiledthreatshad

failedcompletelyyettheproducerofasleazygossipnetworkhadsucceeded,thereby
makinghimselfimmortalintheannalsofVideodom.
Itwashalfluck,halfinspiration.Thenewsdirectorof'Hello,Earth!'hadsuddenly
realizedthatoneofhisstaffboreastrikinglikenesstoDavidBowmanaclevermakeup
artisthadmadeitperfect.JosFernandezcouldhavetoldtheyoungmanthathewas
takingaterriblerisk,buthehadthegoodfortunethatoftenfavoursthebrave.Oncehe
hadgothisfootinsidethedoor,Bettyhadcapitulated.Bythetimeshehadquitegently
thrownhimout,hehadobtainedessentiallythewholestory.Andtodohimcredit,hehad
presenteditwithalackofleeringcynicismquiteuncharacteristicofhisnetwork.Itgothim
thatyear'sPulitzer.
'Iwish,'FloydsaidratherwearilytoSasha,'she'dtalkedearlier.Itwouldhavesavedme
alotoftrouble.Anyway,thatsettlestheargument.Tanyacan'tpossiblyhaveanydoubts
now.Butwe'llleaveituntilshewakesupdon'tyouagree?'
'Ofcourseit'snoturgent,eventhoughit'scertainlyimportant.Andshe'llneedthe
sleep.Ihaveafeelingnoneofuswillgetmuchfromnowon.'
I'msureyou'reright,thoughtFloyd.Hefeltverytired,butevenifhehadnotbeenon
dutyhewouldhavefounditimpossibletosleep.Hismindwastooactive,analysingthe
eventsofthisextraordinarynight,tryingtoanticipatethenextsurprise.
Inoneway,hefeltanenormoussenseofrelief:Alluncertaintyabouttheirdeparture
wassurelyendedTanyacouldhavenofurtherreservations.
Butamuchgreateruncertaintyremained.Whatwashappening?
TherewasonlyoneexperienceinFloyd'slifethatmatchedthesituation.Asavery
youngman,hehadoncegonecanoeingwithsomefriendsdownatributaryofthe
ColoradoRiverandtheyhadlosttheirway.
Theyhadbeensweptfasterandfasterbetweenthecanyonwalls,notcompletely
helpless,butwithonlyenoughcontroltoavoidbeingswamped.Aheadmightberapids
perhapsevenawaterfalltheydidnotknow.Andinanycase,therewaslittletheycould
doaboutit.
Onceagain,Floydfelthimselfinthegripofirresistibleforces,sweepinghimandhis
companionstowardanunknowndestiny.Andthistimethedangerswerenotonly
invisibletheymightbebeyondhumancomprehension.

45
EscapeManoeuvre

'ThisisHeywoodFloyd,makingwhatIsuspectindeed,hopewillbemylastreport
fromLagrange.
'Wearenowpreparingforthereturnhomeinafewdayswewillleavethisstrange
place,hereonthelinebetweenIoandJupiterwherewemadeourrendezvouswiththe
huge,mysteriouslyvanishedartifactwechristenedBigBrother.Thereisstillnotasingle
clueastowhereithasgoneorwhy.
'Forvariousreasons,itseemsdesirableforusnottoremainherelongerthan
necessary.Andwewillbeabletoleaveatleasttwoweeksearlierthanwehadoriginally
plannedbyusingtheAmericanshipDiscoveryasaboosterfortheRussianLeonov.
'Thebasicideaissimplethetwoshipswillbejoinedtogether,onemountedpiggyback
ontheother.Discoverywillburnallitspropellantfirst,acceleratingbothvesselsinthe
desireddirection.Whenitsfuelisexhausted,itwillbecutlooselikeanemptyfirststage
andLeonovwillstarttofireitsengines.Itwon'tusethemearlier,becauseifitdiditwould
wasteenergydraggingalongthedeadweightofDiscovery.
'Andwe'regoingtouseanothertrick,whichlikesomanyoftheconceptsinvolvedin
spacetravelatfirstsightseemstodefycommonsense.Althoughwe'retryingtoget
awayfromJupiter,ourfirstmoveistogetasclosetoitaswepossiblycan.
'We'vebeenthereoncebefore,ofcourse,whenweusedJupiter'satmospheretoslow
usdownandgetintoorbitaroundtheplanet.Thistimewewon'tgoquitesoclosebut
verynearly.
'Ourfirstburn,uphereinthe350,000kilometreshighorbitofIo,willreduceour
velocity,sothatwefalldowntoJupiterandjustgrazeitsatmosphere.Then,whenwe'reat
theclosestpossiblepoint,we'llburnallourfuelasquicklyaswecan,toincreasespeed
andinjectLeonovintotheorbitbacktoEarth.
'What'sthepointofsuchacrazymanoeuvre?Itcan'tbejustifiedexceptbyhighly
complexmathematics,butIthinkthebasicprinciplecanbemadefairlyobvious.
'AsweallowourselvestofallintoJupiter'senormousgravityfield,we'llgainvelocity
andhenceenergy.WhenIsay"we",Imeantheshipsandthefueltheycarry.
'Andwe'regoingtoburnthefuelrightthereatthebottomofJupiter's"gravitywell"
we'renotgoingtoliftitupagain.Asweblastitoutfromourreactors,itwillsharesomeof
itsacquiredkineticenergywithus.Indirectly,we'llhavetappedJupiter'sgravity,tospeed
usonthewaybacktoEarth.Asweusedtheatmospheretogetridofourexcessvelocity
whenwearrived,thisisoneoftherarecaseswhenMotherNatureusuallysofrugal
allowsustohaveitbothways.

'WiththistripleboostDiscovery'sfuel,itsown,andJupiter'sgravityLeonovwillhead
sunwardalongahyperbolathatwillbringittoEarthfivemonthslater.Atleasttwomonths
earlierthanwecouldhavemanagedotherwise.
'YouwilldoubtlesswonderwhatwillhappentothegoodoldDiscovery.Obviously,we
can'tbringithomeunderautomaticcontrol,aswehadoriginallyplanned.Withnofuel,it
willbehelpless.
'Butitwillbeperfectlysafe.ItwillcontinuetolooproundandroundJupiteronahighly
elongatedellipse,likeatrappedcomet.Andperhapsonedaysomefutureexpeditionmay
makeanotherrendezvous,withenoughextrafueltobringitbacktoEarth.However,that
certainlywon'thappenforagoodmanyyears.
'Andnowwemustgetreadyforourdeparture.Thereisstillmuchworktobedone,and
wewon'tbeabletorelaxuntilthatfinalburnstartsusonthehomewardorbit.
'Wewon'tbesorrytoleave,eventhoughwe'venotachievedallourobjectives.The
mysteryperhapsthethreatofBigBrother'sdisappearancestillhauntsus,butthere's
nothingwecandoaboutthat.
'We'vedoneourbestandwe'recominghome.'ThisisHeywoodFloyd,signingoff.'

Therewasaroundofironicclappingfromhislittleaudience,whosesizewouldbe
multipliedmanymillionfoldwhenthemessagereachedEarth.
'I'mnottalkingtoyou,'retortedFloyd,withslightembarrassment.'Ididn'twantyouto
hearit,anyway.'
'Youdidyourusualcompetentjob,Heywood,'saidTanyaconsolingly.'AndI'msurewe
allagreewitheverythingyoutoldthepeoplebackonEarth.'
'Notquite,'saidasmallvoice,sosoftlythateveryonehadtostraininordertohearit.
'Thereisstilloneproblem.'
Theobservationloungesuddenlybecameverysilent.Forthefirsttimeinweeks,Floyd
becameawareofthefaintthrobbingfromthemainairsupplyduct,andtheintermittent
buzzthatmighthavebeenmadebyawasptrappedbehindawallpanel.Leonov,likeall
spacecraft,wasfullofsuchofteninexplicablesounds,whichoneseldomnoticedexcept
whentheystopped.Andthenitwasusuallyagoodideatostartinvestigatingwithout
furtherado.
'I'mnotawareofanyproblem,Chandra,'saidTanyainanominouslycalmvoice.'What
coulditpossiblybe?'

'I'vespentthelastfewweekspreparingHaltoflythousanddayorbitsbacktoEarth.
Nowallthoseprogramswillhavetobedumped.'

'We'resorryaboutthat,'answeredTanya,'butasthingshaveturnedout,surelythisisa
muchbetter'
'That'snotwhatImean,'saidChandra.Therewasarippleofastonishmenthehad
neverbeforebeenknowntointerruptanyone,leastofallTanya.
'WeknowhowsensitiveHalistomissionobjectives,'hecontinuedintheexpectant
hushthatfollowed.'Nowyouareaskingmetogivehimaprogramthatmayresultinhis
owndestruction.It'struethatthepresentplanwillputDiscoveryintoastableorbitbutif
thatwarninghasanysubstance,whatwillhappentotheshipeventually?Wedon'tknow,
ofcoursebutit'sscaredusaway.HaveyouconsideredHal'sreactiontothissituation?'
'Areyouseriouslysuggesting,'Tanyaaskedveryslowly,'thatHalmayrefusetoobey
ordersexactlyasontheearliermission?'
'Thatisnotwhathappenedlasttime.Hedidhisbesttointerpretconflictingorders.'
'Thistimethereneedbenoconflict.Thesituationisperfectlyclearcut.'
'Tous,perhaps.ButoneofHal'sprimedirectivesistokeepDiscoveryoutofdanger.
Wewillbeattemptingtooverridethat.AndinasystemascomplexasHal's,itis
impossibletopredictalltheconsequences.'
'Idon'tseeanyrealproblem,'Sashainterjected.'Wejustdon'ttellhimthatthereisany
danger.Thenhe'llhavenoreservationsaboutcarryingouthisprogram.'
'Babysittingapsychoticcomputer!'mutteredCurnow.'IfeelI'minaGradeBscience
fictionvideodrama.'DrChandragavehimanunfriendlyglare.
'Chandra,'Tanyademandedsuddenly.'HaveyoudiscussedthiswithHal?'
'No.'
Wasthereaslighthesitation?Floydwondered.Itmighthavebeenperfectlyinnocent
Chandracouldhavebeencheckinghismemory.Orhecouldhavebeenlying,improbable
thoughthatseemed.
'Thenwe'lldowhatSashasuggests.Justloadthenewprogramintohim,andleaveitat
that.'

'Andwhenhequestionsmeaboutthechangeofplan?''Ishelikelytodothatwithout
yourprompting?'
'Ofcourse.Pleaserememberthathewasdesignedforcuriosity.Ifthecrewwaskilled,
hehadtobecapableofrunningausefulmission,onhisowninitiative.'
Tanyathoughtthatoverforafewmoments.
'It'sstillquiteasimplematter.He'llbelieveyou,won'the?'
'Certainly.'
'ThenyoumusttellhimthatDiscoveryisinnodanger,andthattherewillbea
rendezvousmissiontobringitbacktoEarthatalaterdate.'
'Butthatisnottrue.'
'Wedon'tknowthatit'sfalse,'repliedTanya,beginningtosoundalittleimpatient.
'Wesuspectthatthereisseriousdangerotherwisewewouldnotbeplanningtoleave
aheadofschedule.'
'Thenwhatdoyousuggest?'Tanyaasked,inavoicethatnowheldadistinctnoteof
menace.
'Wemusttellhimthewholetruth,asfarasweknowitnomoreliesorhalftruths,
whicharejustasbad.Andthenlethimdecideforhimself.'
'Hell,Chandrahe'sonlyamachine!'
ChandralookedatMaxwithsuchasteady,confidentgazethattheyoungerman
quicklydroppedhiseyes.
'Soareweall,MrBrailovsky.Itismerelyamatterofdegree.Whetherwearebasedon
carbonoronsiliconmakesnofundamentaldifferenceweshouldeachbetreatedwith
appropriaterespect.'
Itwasstrange,thoughtFloyd,howChandramuchthesmallestpersonintheroom
nowseemedthelargest.Buttheconfrontationhadgoneonfartoolong.Atanymoment
Tanyawouldstarttoissuedirectorders,andthesituationwouldbecomereallynasty.
'Tanya,VasilicanIhaveawordwithyouboth?Ithinkthereisawayofresolvingthe
problem.'
Floyd'sinterruptionwasreceivedwithobviousrelief,andtwominuteslaterhewas
relaxingwiththeOrlovsintheirquarters.(Or'sixteenths',asCurnowhadoncechristened

thembecauseoftheirsize.Hehadsoonregrettedthepun,becausehehadtoexplainitto
everyoneexceptSasha.)
'Thankyou,Woody,'saidTanya,asshehandedhimabulbofhisfavouriteAzerbaijan
Shemakha.'Iwashopingyou'ddothat.Isupposeyouhavesomethinghowdoyouput
it?upyoursleeve.'
'Ibelieveso,'Floydanswered,squirtingafewcubiccentimetresofthesweetwineinto
hismouthandsavouringitgratefully.'I'msorryifChandraisbeingdifficult.'
'SoamI.Whatagoodthingwehaveonlyonemadscientistaboard.'
'That'snotwhatyou'vesometimestoldme,'grinnedAcademicianVasili.'Anyway,
Woodylet'shaveit.'
'ThisiswhatIsuggest.LetChandragoaheadanddoithisway.Thentherearejusttwo
possibilities.
'First,HalwilldoexactlywhatweaskcontrolDiscoveryduringthetwofiringperiods.
Remember,thefirstisn'tcritical.Ifsomethinggoeswrongwhilewe'repullingawayfrom
Io,there'splentyoftimetomakecorrections.AndthatwillgiveusagoodtestofHal's...
willingnesstocooperate.'
'ButwhatabouttheJupiterflyby?That'stheonethatreallycounts.Notonlydoweburn
mostofDiscovery'sfuelthere,butthetimingandthrustvectorshavetobeexactlyright.'
'Couldtheybecontrolledmanually?'
'I'dhatetotry.Theslightesterror,andwe'deitherburnup,orbecomealongperiod
comet.Dueagaininacoupleofthousandyears.'
'Butiftherewasnoalternative?'Floydinsisted.
'Well,assumingwecouldtakecontrolintime,andhadagoodsetofalternativeorbits
precomputedum,perhapswemightgetawaywithit.'
'Knowingyou,Vasili,I'msurethat"might"means"would".Whichleadsmetothe
secondpossibilityImentioned.IfHalshowstheslightestdeviationfromtheprogram we
takeover.'
'Youmeandisconnecthim?'
'Exactly.'
'Thatwasn'tsoeasylasttime.'

'We'velearnedafewlessonssincethen.Leaveittome.Icanguaranteetogiveyou
backmanualcontrolinabouthalfasecond.'
'There'snodanger,Isuppose,thatHalwillsuspectanything?'
'Nowyou'regettingparanoiac,Vasili.Hal'snotthathuman.ButChandraistogivehim
thebenefitofthedoubt.Sodon'tsayawordtohim.Weallagreewithhisplancompletely,
aresorrythatweeverraisedanyobjections,andareperfectlyconfidentthatHalwillsee
ourpointofview.Right,Tanya?'
'Right,Woody.AndIcongratulateyouonyourforesightthatlittlegadgetwasagood
idea.'
'Whatgadget?'askedVasili.
'I'llexplainoneofthesedays.Sorry,Woodythat'salltheShemakhayoucanhave.I
wanttosaveituntilwe'resafelyonthewaytoEarth.'

46
Countdown

Noonewouldeverbelievethiswithoutmyphotos,thoughtMaxBrailovskyashe
orbitedthetwoshipsfromhalfakilometreaway.Itseemscomicallyindecent,asifLeonov
israpingDiscovery.Andnowthathecametothinkofit,therugged,compactRussian
shipdidlookpositivelymale,whencomparedwiththedelicate,slenderAmericanone.But
mostdockingoperationshaddistinctlysexualovertones,andherememberedthatoneof
theearlycosmonautshecouldn'trecallthenamehadbeenreprimandedforhistoo
vividchoiceofwordsattheer,climaxofhismission.
Asfarashecouldtellfromhiscarefulsurvey,everythingwasinorder.Thetaskof
positioningthetwoshipsandsecuringthemfirmlytogetherhadtakenlongerthan
anticipated.Itwouldneverhavebeenpossibleatallwithoutoneofthosestrokesofluck
thatsometimesnotalwaysfavourthosewhodeservethem.Leonovhadprovidentially
carriedseveralkilometresofcarbonfilamenttape,nobiggerthantheribbonagirlmight
usetotieherhair,yetcapableoftakingastrainofmanytons.Ithadbeenthoughtfully
providedtosecureinstrumentpackagestoBigBrotherifallelsefailed.Nowitwrapped
LeonovandDiscoveryintenderembracesufficientlyfirmly,itwashoped,topreventany
rattlingsandshakingsatallaccelerationsuptotheonetenthofagravitythatwasthe
maximumthatfullthrustcouldprovide.
'AnythingmoreyouwantmetocheckbeforeIcomehome?'askedMax.

'No,'repliedTanya.'Everythinglooksfine.Andwecan'twasteanymoretime.'
Thatwastrueenough.Ifthatmysteriouswarningwastobetakenseriouslyand
everyonenowtookitveryseriouslyindeedtheyshouldstarttheirescapemanoeuvre
withinthenexttwentyfourhours.
'RightI'mbringingNinabacktothestable.Sorryaboutthis,oldgirl.'
'YounevertoldusNinawasahorse.'
'I'mnotadmittingitnow.AndIfeelbadaboutdumpingherhereinspace,justtogiveus
amiserablefewextrametrespersecond.'
'Wemaybeverygladoftheminafewhours,Max.Anyway,there'salwaysachance
thatsomeonemaycomeandpickherupagain,oneday.'
Iverymuchdoubtit,thoughtMax.Andperhaps,afterall,itwasappropriatetoleavethe
littlespacepodthere,asapermanentreminderofMan'sfirstvisittothekingdomof
Jupiter.
Withgentle,carefullytimedpulsesfromthecontroljetshebroughtNinaaroundthe
greatsphereofDiscovery'smainlifesupportmodulehiscolleaguesontheflightdeck
barelyglancedathimashedriftedpasttheircurvingwindow.TheopenPodBaydoor
yawnedbeforehim,andhejockeyedNinadelicatelydownontotheextendeddocking
arm.
'Pullmein,'hesaid,assoonasthelatcheshadclickedshut.'Icallthatawellplanned
EVA.There'sawholekilogramofpropellantlefttotakeNinaoutforthelasttime.'

Normally,therewaslittledramaaboutaburnindeepspaceitwasnotlikethefireand
thunderandalwayspresentrisksofaliftofffromaplanetarysurface.Ifsomethingwent
wrong,andthemotorsfailedtocomeuptofullthrustwell,matterscouldusuallybe
correctedbyaslightlylongerburn.Oronecouldwaituntiltheappropriatepointinorbit,
andtryagain.
Butthistime,asthecountdownproceededtowardzero,thetensionaboardbothships
wasalmostpalpable.EveryoneknewthatitwasthefirstrealtestofHal'sdocilityonly
Floyd,Curnow,andtheOrlovsrealizedthattherewasabackupsystem.Andeventhey
werenotabsolutelysurethatitwouldwork.
'Goodluck,Leonov,'saidMissionControl,timingthemessagetoarrivefiveminutes
beforeignition.'Hopeeverything'srunningsmoothly.Andifit'snottoomuchtrouble,could
youpleasegetsomecloseupsoftheequator,longitude115,asyougoaroundJupiter.

There'sacuriousdarkspottherepresumablysomekindofupwelling,perfectlyround,
almostathousandkilometresacross.Looksliketheshadowofasatellite,butitcan'tbe.'
Tanyamadeabriefacknowledgementthatmanagedtoconvey,inaremarkablyfew
words,aprofoundlackofinterestinthemeteorologyofJupiteratthatmoment.Mission
Controlsometimesshowedaperfectgeniusfortactlessnessandpoortiming.
'Allsystemsfunctioningnormally,'saidHal.'Twominutestoignition.'
Strange,thoughtFloyd,howterminologyoftensurviveslongafterthetechnologythat
gaveitbirth.Onlychemicalrocketswerecapableofignitionevenifthehydrogenina
nuclearorplasmadrivedidcomeintocontactwithoxygen,itwouldbefartoohottoburn.
Atsuchtemperatures,allcompoundswerestrippedbackintotheirelements.
Hismindwandered,seekingotherexamples.Peopleparticularlyolderonesstill
spokeofputtingfilmintoacamera,orgasintoacar.Eventhephrase'cuttingatape'was
stillsometimesheardinrecordingstudiosthoughthatembracedtwogenerationsof
obsoletetechnologies.
'Oneminutetoignition.'
Hismindflashedbacktothehereandnow.Thiswastheminutethatcountedfor
almostahundredyears,onlaunchpadsandincontrolcentres,thiswasthelongestsixty
secondsthathadeverexisted.Countlesstimesithadendedindisasterbutonlythe
triumphswereremembered.Whichwilloursbe?
Thetemptationtoputhishandoncemoreintothepocketthatheldtheactivatorforthe
cutoutswitchwasalmostirresistible,eventhoughlogictoldhimtherewasplentyoftime
forremedialaction.IfHalfailedtoobeyhisprogramming,thatwouldbeanuisancenota
disaster.ThereallycriticaltimewouldbewhentheywereroundingJupiter.
'Six...five...four...three...two...one.IGNITION!'
Atfirst,thethrustwasbarelyperceptibleittookalmostaminutetobuilduptothefull
tenthofagee.Nevertheless,everyonestartedclappingimmediately,untilTanyasignalled
forsilence.ThereweremanycheckstobemadeevenifHalwasdoinghisbestashe
certainlyseemedtobetherewassomuchthatcouldstillgowrong.
Discovery'santennamountwhichwasnowtakingmostofthestrainfromLeonov's
inertiahadneverbeenintendedforsuchmistreatment.Theship'schiefdesigner,called
outofretirement,hadswornthatthesafetymarginwasadequate.Buthemightbewrong,
andmaterialshadbeenknowntobecomebrittleafteryearsinspace.
Andthetapesholdingthetwoshipstogethermightnothavebeenlocatedaccurately
theymightstretchorslip.Discoverymightnotbeabletocorrectfortheoffcentreofmass,
nowthatitwascarryingathousandtonspiggyback.Floydcouldimagineadozenthings

thatcouldgowrongitwaslittleconsolationtorememberthatitwasalwaysthethirteenth
thatactuallyhappened.
ButtheminutesdraggedonuneventfullytheonlyproofthatDiscovery'sengineswere
operatingwasthefractional,thrustinducedgravityandaveryslightvibrationtransmitted
throughthewallsoftheships.IoandJupiterstillhungwheretheyhadbeenforweeks,on
oppositesidesofthesky.
'Cutoffintenseconds.Nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three,..two...NOW!'
'Thankyou,Hal,Onthebutton.'
Nowthatwasanotherphrasethatwasbadlydatedforatleastageneration,touch
padshadalmostentirelyreplacedbuttons.Butnotforallapplicationsincriticalcases,it
wasbesttohaveadevicethatmovedperceptiblywithanice,satisfyingclick.
'Iconfirmthat,'saidVasili.'Noneedforanycorrectionsuntilmidcourse.'
'Saygoodbyetoglamorous,exoticIorealestateagent'sdreamworld,'saidCurnow.
'We'llallbehappytomissyou.'
ThatsoundsmoreliketheoldWalter,Floydtoldhimself.Forthelastfewweeks,hehad
beenoddlysubdued,asifhehadsomethingonhismind.(Butwhodidnot?)Heseemed
tospendagooddealofhisscantyfreetimeinquietdiscussionswithKaterina:Floyd
hopedthathehadnotdevelopedsomemedicalproblem.Theyhadbeenveryluckysofar
onthatscorethelastthingtheyneededatthisstagewasanemergencythatrequiredthe
SurgeonCommander'sexpertise.
'You'rebeingunkind,Walter,'saidBrailovsky.'Iwasbeginningtoliketheplace.Itmight
befuntogoboatingonthoselavalakes.'
'Whataboutavolcanobarbecue?'
'Orgenuinemoltensulphurbaths?'
Everyonewaslighthearted,evenalittlehystericalwithrelief.Thoughitwasfartooearly
torelaxandthemostcriticalphaseoftheescapemanoeuvrestilllayahead,thefirststep
hadbeensafelytakenonthelongjourneyhome.Thatwascauseenoughforalittle
modestrejoicing.
Itdidnotlastlong,forTanyaquicklyorderedallthosenotonessentialdutytogetsome
restifpossible,somesleepinpreparationfortheJupiterswingbyonlyninehours
ahead.Whenthoseaddressedwereslowtomove,Sashaclearedthedecksbyshouting,
'You'llhangforthis,youmutinousdogs!'Onlytwonightsbefore,asararerelaxation,they
hadallenjoyedthefourthversionofMutinyontheBounty,generallyagreedbymovie

historianstohavethebestCaptainBlighsincethefabledCharlesLaughton.Therewas
somefeelingonboardthatTanyashouldnothaveseenit,lestitgiveherideas.
Afteracoupleofrestlesshoursinhiscocoon,Floydabandonedthequestforsleepand
wandereduptotheobservationdeck.Jupiterwasmuchlargerandslowlywaningasthe
shipshurtledtowardtheirclosestapproachoverthenightside.Aglorious,gibbousdisk,it
showedsuchaninfinitewealthofdetailcloudbelts,spotsofeverycolourfromdazzling
whitetobrickred,darkupwellingsfromtheunknowndepths,thecyclonicovaloftheGreat
RedSpotthattheeyecouldnotpossiblyabsorbitall.Theround,darkshadowofone
moonprobablyEuropa,Floydguessedwasintransit.Hewasseeingthisincredible
sightforthelasttimeeventhoughhehadtobeatmaximumefficiencyinsixhours,itwas
acrimetowastepreciousmomentsinsleep.
WherewasthatspotthatMissionControlhadaskedthemtoobserve?Itshouldhave
beencomingintoview,butFloydwasnotsureifitwouldbevisibletothenakedeye.
Vasiliwouldbetoobusytobotheraboutitperhapshecouldhelpbydoingalittleamateur
astronomy.Therehad,afterall,beenabrieftime,onlythirtyyearsago,whenhehad
earnedhislivingasaprofessional.
Heactivatedthecontrolsofthemainfiftycentimetretelescopefortunately,thefieldof
viewwasnotblockedbytheadjacentbulkofDiscoveryandscannedalongtheequator
atmediumpower.Andthereitwas,justcomingovertheedgeofthedisk.
Byforceofcircumstance,FloydwasnowoneoftheSolarSystem'stengreatestexperts
onJupitertheotherninewereworkingorsleepingaroundhim.Hesawatoncethatthere
wassomethingveryoddaboutthisspotitwassoblackthatitlookedlikeaholepunched
throughtheclouds.FromhispointofviewitappearedtobeasharpedgedellipseFloyd
guessedthatfromdirectlyabove,itwouldbeaperfectcircle.
Herecordedafewimages,thenincreasedthepowertomaximum.AlreadyJupiter's
rapidspinhadbroughttheformationintoclearerviewandthemorehestared,themore
puzzledFloydbecame.
'Vasili,'hecalledovertheintercom,'ifyoucanspareaminutehavealookatthefifty
centimetremonitor.'
'Whatareyouobserving?Isitimportant?I'mcheckingtheorbit.'
'Takeyourtime,ofcourse.ButI'vefoundthatspotMissionControlreported.Itlooks
verypeculiar.'
'Hell!I'dforgottenallaboutit.We'reafinelotofobserversifthoseguysbackonEarth
havetotelluswheretolook.Givemeanotherfiveminutesitwon'trunaway.'
Trueenough,thoughtFloydinfactitwillgetclearer.Andtherewasnodisgracein
missingsomethingthatterrestrialorlunarastronomershadobserved.Jupiterwasvery

big,theyhadbeenverybusy,andthetelescopesontheMoonandinEarthorbitwerea
hundredtimesmorepowerfulthantheinstrumenthewasusingnow.
Butitwasgettingmoreandmorepeculiar.Forthefirsttime,Floydbegantofeela
distinctsenseofunease.Untilthatmoment,ithadneveroccurredtohimthatthespot
couldbeanythingbutanaturalformationsometrickofJupiter'sincrediblycomplex
meteorology.Nowhebegantowonder.
Itwassoblack,likenightitself.Andsosymmetricalasitcameintoclearerviewitwas
obviouslyaperfectcircle.Yetitwasnotsharplydefinedtheedgehadanoddfuzziness,
asifitwasalittleoutoffocus.
Wasitimagination,orhaditgrown,evenwhilehewaswatching?Hemadeaquick
estimate,anddecidedthatthethingwasnowtwothousandkilometresacross.Itwasonly
alittlesmallerthanthestillvisibleshadowofEuropa,butwassomuchdarkerthatthere
wasnoriskofconfusion.
'Let'shavealook,'saidVasili,inarathercondescendingtone.'Whatdoyouthink
you'vefound?Oh...'Hisvoicetrailedawayintosilence.
Thisisit,thoughtFloyd,withasuddenicyconviction.Whateveritmaybe.

47
FinalFlyby

Yetonfurtherreflection,aftertheinitialamazementhadwornoff,itwashardtosee
howaspreadingblackstainonthefaceofJupitercouldrepresentanykindofdanger.It
wasextraordinaryinexplicablebutnotasimportantasthecriticaleventsnowonly
sevenhoursinthefuture.Asuccessfulburnatperijovewasallthatmatteredtheywould
haveplentyoftimetostudymysteriousblackspotsonthewayhome.
AndtosleepFloydhadgivenupallattemptsatthat.
Thoughthefeelingofdangeratleast,ofknowndangerwasmuchlessthanontheir
firstapproachtoJupiter,amixtureofexcitementandapprehensionkepthimwideawake.
Theexcitementwasnaturalandunderstandabletheapprehensionhadmorecomplex
causes.Floydmadeitarulenevertoworryabouteventsoverwhichhecouldhave
absolutelynocontrolanyexternalthreatwouldrevealitselfinduetimeandbedealtwith
then.Buthecouldnothelpwonderingiftheyhaddoneeverythingpossibletosafeguard
theships.

Apartfromonboardmechanicalfailures,thereweretwomainsourcesofconcern.
AlthoughthetapesthatsecuredLeonovandDiscoverytogetherhadshownnotendency
toslip,theirseveresttestwasstilltocome.Almostequallycriticalwouldbethemomentof
separationwhenthesmallestoftheexplosivechargesonceintendedtojoltBigBrother
wouldbeusedatuncomfortablyclosequarters.And,ofcourse,therewasHal.
Hehadcarriedoutthedeorbitingmanoeuvrewithexquisiteprecision.Hehadrunthe
simulationsoftheJupiterflyby,rightdowntoDiscovery'slastdropoffuel,withoutany
commentsorobjections.AndalthoughChandra,asagreed,hadcarefullyexplainedwhat
theyweretryingtodo,didHalreallyunderstandwhatwashappening?
Floydhadoneoverridingconcern,whichintheprecedingfewdayshadbecomealmost
anobsession.Hecouldpictureeverythinggoingperfectly,theshipshalfwaythroughthe
finalmanoeuvre,theenormousdiskofJupiterfillingtheskyonlyafewhundredkilometres
belowthem andthenHalelectronicallyclearinghisthroatandsaying:
'DrChandra,doyoumindifIaskyouaquestion?'Itdidnothappenexactlythatway.

TheGreatBlackSpot,asithadbeeninevitablychristened,wasnowbeingcarriedout
ofsightbyJupiter'sswiftrotation.Inafewhoursthestillacceleratingshipswouldcatchup
withitoverthenightsideoftheplanet,butthiswasthelastchanceforaclosedaylight
observation.
Itwasstillgrowingatanextraordinaryspeedinthelasttwohours,ithadmorethan
doubleditsarea.Exceptforthefactthatitretaineditsblacknessasitexpanded,it
resembledaninkstainspreadinginwater.Itsboundarynowmovingatnearsonicspeed
intheJovianatmospherestilllookedcuriouslyfuzzyandoutoffocusattheveryhighest
poweroftheship'stelescope,thereasonforthiswasatlastapparent.
UnliketheGreatRedSpot,theGreatBlackSpotwasnotacontinuousstructureitwas
builtupfrommyriadsoftinydots,likeahalftoneprintviewedthroughamagnifyingglass.
Overmostofitsarea,thedotsweresocloselyspacedthattheywerealmosttouching,but
attherimtheybecamemoreandmorewidelyspaced,sothattheSpotendedinagrey
penumbraratherthanatasharpfrontier.
Theremusthavebeenalmostamillionofthemysteriousdots,andtheyweredistinctly
elongatedellipsesratherthancircles.Katerina,theleastimaginativepersonaboard,
surprisedeverybodybysayingthatitlookedasifsomeonehadtakenasackfulofrice,
dyeditblack,andpoureditonthefaceofJupiter.
AndnowtheSunwasdroppingdownbehindthehuge,swiftlynarrowingarchofthe
dayside,asforthesecondtimeLeonovracedintotheJoviannightforanappointment
withdestiny.Inlessthanthirtyminutesthefinalburnwouldcommence,andthingswould
starttohappenveryquicklyindeed.

FloydwonderedifheshouldhavejoinedChandraandCurnow,standingwatchon
Discovery.Buttherewasnothinghecoulddoinanemergency,hewouldonlybeinthe
way.ThecutoffswitchwasinCurnow'spocket,andFloydknewthattheyoungerman's
reactionswereagooddealswifterthanhisown.IfHalshowedtheslightestsignof
misbehaviour,hecouldbedisconnectedinlessthanasecond,butFloydfeltcertainthat
suchextrememeasureswouldnotbenecessary.Sincehehadbeenallowedtodothings
hisownway,Chandrahadcooperatedcompletelyinsettinguptheproceduresfora
manualtakeover,shouldthatunfortunatenecessityarise.Floydwasconfidentthathe
couldbetrustedtocarryouthisdutyhowevermuchhemightregrettheneed.
Curnowwasnotquitesosure.Hewouldbehappier,hehadtoldFloyd,ifhehad
multipleredundancyintheformofasecondcutoffswitchforChandra.Meanwhilethere
wasnothingthatanyonecoulddobutwaitandwatchtheapproachingcloudscapeofthe
nightside,dimlyvisiblebythereflectedlightofpassingsatellites,theglowofphoto
chemicalreactions,andfrequenttitaniclightningflashesfromthunderstormslargerthan
Earth.
Thesunwinkedoutbehindthem,eclipsedinsecondsbytheimmenseglobetheywere
soswiftlyapproaching.Whentheysawitagain,theyshouldbeontheirwayhome.
'Twentyminutestoignition.Allsystemsnominal.'
'Thankyou,Hal.'
IwonderifChandrawasbeingquitetruthful,thoughtCurnow,whenhesaidthatHal
wouldbeconfusedifanyoneelsespoketohim.I'vetalkedtohimoftenenough,when
nobodywasaround,andhealwaysunderstoodmeperfectly.Still,there'snotmuchtime
leftforfriendlyconversationnow,thoughitwouldhelptoreducethestrain.
What'sHalreallythinkingifhethinksaboutthemission?Allhislife,Curnowhad
shiedawayfromabstract,philosophicalquestions:I'manutsandboltsman,hehadoften
claimed,thoughtherewerenottoomanyofeitherinaspaceship.Once,hewouldhave
laughedattheidea,butnowhebegantowonder:DidHalsensethathewouldsoonbe
abandoned,andifso,wouldheresentit?Curnowalmostreachedforthecutoffswitchin
hispocket,butcheckedhimself.HehadalreadydonethissooftenthatChandramightbe
gettingsuspicious.
Forthehundredthtime,herehearsedthesequenceofeventsthatwereduetotake
placeduringthenexthour.ThemomentthatDiscovery'sfuelwasexhausted,theywould
closedownallbutessentialsystems,anddashbacktoLeonovthroughtheconnecting
tube.Thatwouldbedecoupled,theexplosivechargeswouldbefired,theshipswoulddrift
apartandLeonov'sownengineswouldstarttofire.Theseparationshouldtakeplace,if
everythingwentaccordingtoplan,justwhentheyweremakingtheirclosestapproachto
Jupiterthatwouldtakemaximumadvantageoftheplanet'sgravitationallargesse.

'Fifteenminutestoignition.Allsystemsnominal.'
'Thankyou,Hal.'
'Bytheway,'saidVasili,fromtheothership,'we'recatchingupwiththeGreatBlack
Spotagain.Wonderifwecanseeanythingnew.'
Iratherhopenot,thoughtCurnowwe'vegotquiteenoughonourhandsatthemoment.
Nevertheless,hegaveaquickglanceattheimageVasiliwastransmittingonthe
telescopemonitor.
Atfirsthecouldseenothingexceptthefaintlyglimmeringnightsideoftheplanetthen
hesaw,onthehorizon,aforeshortenedcircleofdeeperdarkness.Theywererushing
towarditwithincrediblespeed.
Vasiliincreasedthelightamplification,andtheentireimagebrightenedmagically.At
last,theGreatBlackSpotresolveditselfintoitsmyriadidenticalelements.
MyGod,thoughtCurnow,Ijustdon'tbelieveit!
HeheardexclamationsofsurprisefromLeonov:alltheothershadsharedinthesame
revelationatthesamemoment.
'DrChandra,'saidHal,'Idetectstrongvocalstresspatterns.Isthereaproblem?'
'No,Hal,'Chandraansweredquickly.'Themissionisproceedingnormally.We'vejust
hadratherasurprisethat'sall.Whatdoyoumakeoftheimageonmonitorcircuit16?'
'IseethenightsideofJupiter.Thereisacirculararea,3,250kilometresindiameter,
whichisalmostcompietelycoveredwithrectangularobjects.'
'Howmany?'
Therewasthebriefestofpauses,beforeHalflashedthenumberonthevideodisplay:

1,355,0001,000

'Anddoyourecognizethem?'
'Yes.TheyareidenticalinsizeandshapetotheobjectyourefertoasBigBrother.Ten
minutestoignition.Allsystemsnominal.'

Minearen't,thoughtCurnow.Sothedamnthing'sgonedowntoJupiterandmultiplied.
Therewassomethingsimultaneouslycomicandsinisteraboutaplagueofblack
monolithsandtohispuzzledsurprise,thatincredibleimageonthemonitorscreenhada
certainweirdfamiliarity.
Ofcoursethatwasit!Thosemyriad,identicalblackrectanglesremindedhimof
dominoes.Yearsago,hehadseenavideodocumentaryshowinghowateamofslightly
crazyJapanesehadpatientlystoodamilliondominoesonend,sothatwhentheveryfirst
onewastoppled,alltheotherswouldinevitablyfollow.Theyhadbeenarrangedin
complexpatterns,someunderwater,someupanddownlittlestairways,othersalong
multipletrackssothattheyformedpicturesandpatternsastheyfell.Ithadtakenweeksto
setthemupCurnowrememberednowthatearthquakeshadseveraltimesfoiledthe
enterprise,andthefinaltoppling,fromfirstdominotothelast,hadtakenmorethanan
hour.
'Eightminutestoignition.Allsystemsnominal.DrChandramayImakeasuggestion?'
'Whatisit,Hal?'
'Thisisaveryunusualphenomenon.DoyounotthinkIshouldabortthecountdown,so
thatyoucanremaintostudyit?'
AboardLeonov,Floydstartedtomovequicklytowardthebridge.TanyaandVasili
mightbeneedinghim.NottomentionChandraandCurnowwhatasituation!And
supposeChandratookHal'sside?Ifhedidtheymightbothberight!Afterall,wasthis
nottheveryreasontheyhadcomehere?
Iftheystoppedthecountdown,theshipswouldlooparoundJupiterandbebackat
preciselythesamespotinnineteenhours.Anineteenhourholdwouldcreateno
problemsifitwasnotforthatenigmaticwarning,hewouldhavestronglyrecommendedit
himself.
Buttheyhadverymuchmorethanawarning.Belowthemwasaplanetaryplague
spreadingacrossthefaceofJupiter.Perhapstheywereindeedrunningawayfromthe
mostextraordinaryphenomenoninthehistoryofscience.Evenso,hepreferredtostudyit
fromasaferdistance.
'Sixminutestoignition,'saidHal.'Allsystemsnominal.Iamreadytostopthe
countdownifyouagree.Letmeremindyouthatmyprimedirectiveistostudyeverything
inJupiterspacethatmaybeconnectedwithintelligence.'
Floydrecognizedthatphrasealltoowell:hehadwrittenithimself.Hewishedhecould
deleteitfromHal'smemory.
Amomentlater,hehadreachedthebridgeandjoinedtheOrlovs.Theybothlookedat
himwithalarmedconcern.

'Whatdoyourecommend?'askedTanyaswiftly.
'It'suptoChandra,I'mafraid.CanIspeaktohim ontheprivateline?'
Vasilihandedoverthemicrophone.
'Chandra?IassumethatHalcan'thearthis?'
'Correct,DrFloyd.'
'You'vegottotalkquickly.Persuadehimthatthecountdownmustcontinue,thatwe
appreciatehiser,scientificenthusiasm ah,that'stherightanglesaywe'reconfident
thathecandothejobwithoutourhelp.Andwe'llbeintouchwithhimallthetime,of
course.'
'Fiveminutestoignition.Allsystemsnominal.Iamstillwaitingforyouranswer,Dr
Chandra.'
Soareweall,thoughtCurnow,onlyametreawayfromthescientist.AndifIdohaveto
pushthatbuttonatlast,itwillbesomethingofarelief.Infact,I'llratherenjoyit.
'Verywell,Hal.Continuethecountdown.Ihaveeveryconfidenceinyourabilitytostudy
allphenomenainJupiterspace,withoutoursupervision.Ofcourse,wewillbeintouch
withyouatalltimes.'
'Fourminutestoignition.Allsystemsnominal.Propellanttankpressurization
completed.Voltagesteadyonplasmatrigger.Areyousureyouaremakingtheright
decision,DrChandra?Ienjoyworkingwithhumanbeingsandhaveastimulating
relationshipwiththem.Ship'sattitudecorrecttopointonemilliradian.'
'Weenjoyworkingwithyou,Hal.Andwewillstillbedoingso,evenifwearemillionsof
kilometresaway.'
'Threeminutestoignition.Allsystemsnominal,Radiationshieldingchecked.Thereisa
problemofthetimelag,DrChandra.Itmaybenecessarytoconsulteachotherwithout
anydelay.'
Thisisinsane,Curnowthought,hishandnowneverfarfromthecutoffswitch.Ireally
believethatHalislonely.IshemimickingsomepartofChandra'spersonalitythatwe
neversuspected?
Thelightsflickered,soimperceptiblythatonlysomeonefamiliarwitheverynuanceof
Discovery'sbehaviourwouldhavenoticed.Itcouldbegoodnewsorbadtheplasma
firingsequencestarting,orbeingterminated...

HeriskedaquickglanceatChandrathelittlescientist'sfacewasdrawnandhaggard,
andforalmostthefirsttimeCurnowfeltrealsympathyforhimasanotherhumanbeing.
AndherememberedthestartlinginformationthatFloydhadconfidedinhim Chandra's
offertostaywiththeship,andkeepHalcompanyonthethreeyearvoyagehome.Hehad
heardnomoreoftheidea,andpresumablyithadbeenquietlyforgottenafterthewarning.
ButperhapsChandrawasbeingtemptedagainifhewas,therewasnothingthathecould
doaboutitatthatstage.Therewouldbenotimetomakethenecessarypreparations,
eveniftheystayedonforanotherorbitanddelayedtheirdeparturebeyondthedeadline.
WhichTanyawouldcertainlynotpermitafterallthathadnowhappened.
'Hal,'whisperedChandra,soquietlythatCurnowcouldscarcelyhearhim.'Wehaveto
leave.Idon'thavetimetogiveyouallthereasons,butIcanassureyouit'strue.'
'Twominutestoignition.Allsystemsnominal.Finalsequencestarted.Iamsorrythat
youareunabletostay.Canyougivemesomeofthereasons,inorderofimportance?'
'Notintwominutes,Hal.Proceedwiththecountdown.Iwillexplaineverythinglater.We
stillhavemorethananhourtogether.'
Haldidnotanswer.Thesilencestretchedonandon.Surelytheoneminute
announcementwasoverdue...
Curnowglancedattheclock.MyGod,hethought,Hal'smissedit!Hashestoppedthe
countdown?
Curnow'shandfumbleduncertainlyfortheswitch.WhatdoIdonow?IwishFloyd
wouldsaysomething,dammit,buthe'sprobablyafraidofmakingthingsworse...
I'llwaituntiltimezerono,it'snotthatcritical,let'ssayanextraminutethenI'llzap
himandwe'llgoovertomanual...
Fromfar,farawaytherecameafaint,whistlingscream,likethesoundofatornado
marchingjustbelowtheedgeofthehorizon.Discoverystartedtovibratetherewasthe
firstintimationofreturninggravity.
'Ignition,'saidHal.'FullthrustatTplusfifteenseconds.'
'Thank,you,Hal,'repliedChandra.

48
OvertheNightside

ToHeywoodFloyd,aboardthesuddenlyunfamiliarbecausenolongerweightless
environmentofLeonov'sflightdeck,thesequenceofeventshadseemedmorelikea
classicslowmotionnightmarethanreality.Onlyoncebeforeinhislifehadheknowna
similarsituation,whenhehadbeeninthebackofacarduringanuncontrollableskid.
Therehadbeenthatsamesenseofutterhelplessnesscoupledwiththethought:This
doesn'treallymatterit'snotactuallyhappeningtome.
Nowthatthefiringsequencehadstarted,hismoodchangedeverythingseemedreal
again.ItwasworkingoutexactlyastheyhadplannedHalwasguidingthemsafelyback
toEarth.Witheveryminutethatpassed,theirfuturewasbecomingmoresecureFloyd
beganslowlytorelax,eventhoughheremainedalerttoallthatwashappeningaround
him.
Fortheverylasttimeandwhenwouldanymancomehereagain?hewasflyingover
thenightsideofthegreatestofplanets,encompassingthevolumeofathousandEarths.
TheshipshadbeenrolledsothatLeonovwasbetweenDiscoveryandJupiter,andtheir
viewofthemysteriouslyglimmeringcloudscapewasnotblocked.Evennow,dozensof
instrumentswerebusilyprobingandrecordingHalwouldcontinuetheworkwhenthey
weregone.
Sincetheimmediatecrisiswasover,Floydmovedcautiously'down'fromtheflight
deckhowstrangetofeelweightagain,evenifitwasonlytenkilos!andjoinedZeniaand
Katerinaintheobservationlounge.Apartfromtheveryfaintestofredemergencylights,it
hadbeencompletelyblackedoutsothattheycouldadmiretheviewwithunimpairednight
vision.HefeltsorryforMaxBrailovskyandSashaKovalev,whoweresittingintheairlock,
fullysuitedup,missingthemarvellousspectacle.Theyhadtobereadytoleaveata
moment'snoticetocutthestrapssecuringtheshipstogetherifanyoftheexplosive
chargesfailedtooperate.
Jupiterfilledtheentireskyitwasamerefivehundredkilometresaway,sotheycould
seeonlyatinyfractionofitssurfacenomorethanonecouldseeofEarthfroman
altitudeoffiftykilometres.Ashiseyesgrewaccustomedtothedimlight,mostofit
reflectedfromtheicycrustofdistantEuropa,Floydcouldmakeoutasurprisingamountof
detail.Therewasnocolouratthelowlevelofilluminationexceptforahintofredhere
andtherebutthebandedstructureofthecloudswasverydistinct,andhecouldseethe
edgeofasmallcyclonicstormlookinglikeanovalislandcoveredwithsnow.TheGreat
BlackSpothadlongsincefallenastern,andtheywouldnotseeitagainuntiltheywere
wellonthewayhome.
Downtherebeneaththeclouds,occasionalexplosionsoflightflared,manyofthem
obviouslycausedbytheJovianequivalentofthunderstorms.Butotherglowsand
outburstsofluminescenceweremorelonglived,andofmoreuncertainorigin.Sometimes
ringsoflightwouldspreadoutlikeshockwavesfromacentralsourceandoccasional
rotatingbeamsandfansoccurred.Itrequiredlittleimaginationtopretendthattheywere
proofofatechnologicalcivilizationdownbeneaththosecloudsthelightsofcities,the

beaconsofairports.Butradarandballoonprobeshadlongagoprovedthatnothingsolid
wasdownthereforthousandsuponthousandsofkilometres,allthewaytothe
unattainablecoreoftheplanet.
MidnightonJupiter!Thelastcloseupglimpsewasamagicalinterludehewould
rememberallhislife.Hecouldenjoyitallthemorebecause,surely,nothingcouldnowgo
wrongandevenifitdid,hewouldhavenoreasontoreproachhimselfHehaddone
everythingpossibletoensuresuccess.
Itwasveryquietintheloungenoonewishedtospeakasthecarpetofcloudsunrolled
swiftlybeneaththem.EveryfewminutesTanyaorVasiliannouncedthestatusoftheburn
towardtheendofDiscovery'sfiringtime,tensionbegantoincreaseagain.Thiswasthe
criticalmomentandnooneknewexactlywhenitwouldbe.Therewassomedoubtasto
theaccuracyofthefuelgauges,andtheburnwouldcontinueuntiltheywerecompletely
dry.
'Estimatedcutoffintenseconds,'saidTanya.'Walter,Chandragetreadytocome
back.Max,Vasilistandbyincaseyou'reneeded.Five...four...three...two...one...zero!'
TherewasnochangethefaintscreamofDiscovery'senginesstillreachedthem
throughthethicknessofthetwohulls,andthethrustinducedweightstillcontinuedtogrip
theirlimbs.We'reinluck,thoughtFloydthegaugesmusthavebeenreadinglow,afterall.
Everysecondofextrafiringwasabonusitmightevenmeanthedifferencebetweenlife
anddeath.Andhowstrangetohearacountupinsteadofacountdown!
fiveseconds...tenseconds...thirteenseconds.That'sitluckythirteen!'
Weightlessness,andsilence,returned.Onbothships,therewasabriefburstof
cheering.Itwasquicklytruncated,formuchwasstilltobedoneandithadtobedone
swiftly.
Floydwastemptedtogototheairlocksothathecouldgivehiscongratulationsto
ChandraandCurnowassoonastheycameaboard.Buthewouldonlybeinthewaythe
airlockwouldbeaverybusyplaceasMaxandSashapreparedfortheirpossibleEVAand
thetubewayjoiningthetwoshipswasdisconnected.Hewouldwaitinthelounge,togreet
thereturningheroes.
Andhecouldnowrelaxevenfurtherperhapsfromeighttoseven,onascaleoften.
Forthefirsttimeinweeks,hecouldforgetabouttheradiocutoff.Itwouldneverbe
neededHalhadperformedimpeccably.Evenifhewished,hecoulddonothingtoaffect
themissionsinceDiscovery'slastdropofpropellanthadbeenexhausted.
'Allaboard,'announcedSasha.'Hatchessealed.I'mgoingtofirethecharges.'
Therewasnotthefaintestsoundastheexplosivesweredetonated,whichsurprised
Floydhehadexpectedsomenoisetobetransmittedthroughthestraps,tautassteel

bands,thatlinkedtheshipstogether.Buttherewasnodoubtthattheyhadgoneoffas
planned,forLeonovgaveaseriesoftinyshudders,asifsomeonewastappingonthehull.
Aminutelater,Vasilitriggeredtheattitudejetsforasinglebriefburst.
'We'refree!'heshouted.'Sasha,Maxyouwon'tbeneeded!Everyonegettoyour
hammocksignitioninonehundredseconds!'
AndnowJupiterwasrollingaway,andastrangenewshapeappearedoutsidethe
windowthelong,skeletalframeofDiscovery,navigationlightsstillshiningasitdrifted
awayfromthemandintohistory.Notimeremainedforsentimentalfarewellsinlessthan
aminuteLeonov'sdrivewouldstarttooperate.
Floydhadneverhearditunderfullpowerandwantedtoprotecthisearsfromthe
roaringscreamthatnowfilledtheuniverse.Leonov'sdesignershadnotwastedpayload
onsoundinsulationthatwouldbeneededforonlyafewhoursofavoyagethatwouldlast
foryears.Andhisweightseemedenormousyetitwasbarelyaquarterofthatwhichhe
hadknownallhislife.
Withinminutes,Discoveryhadvanishedastern,thoughtheflashofitswarningbeacon
couldbeseenuntilithaddroppedbelowthehorizon.Onceagain,Floydtoldhimself,I'm
roundingJupiterthistimegainingspeed,notlosingit.HeglancedacrossatZenia,just
visibleinthedarknesswithhernosepressedtotheobservationwindow.Wasshealso
recallingthatlastoccasion,whentheysharedthehammocktogether?Therewasno
dangerofincinerationnowatleastshewouldnotbeterrifiedofthatparticularfate.
Anyway,sheseemedamuchmoreconfidentandcheerfulperson,undoubtedlythanksto
MaxandperhapsWalteraswell.
Shemusthavebecomeawareofhisscrutiny,forsheturnedandsmiled,thengestured
towardtheunwindingcloudscapebelow.
'Look!'sheshoutedinhisear,'Jupiterhasanewmoon!'
Whatisshetryingtosay?Floydaskedhimself.HerEnglishstillisn'tverygood,butshe
couldn'tpossiblyhavemadeamistakeinasimplesentencelikethat.I'msureIheardher
correctlyyetshe'spointingdownward,notupward.
Andthenherealizedthatthesceneimmediatelybelowthemhadbecomemuch
brighterhecouldevenseeyellowsandgreensthathadbeenquiteinvisiblebefore.
SomethingfarmorebrilliantthanEuropawasshiningontheJovianclouds.
Leonovitself,manytimesbrighterthanJupiter'snoondaysun,hadbroughtafalse
dawntotheworlditwasleavingforever.Ahundredkilometrelongplumeofincandescent
plasmawastrailingbehindtheship,astheexhaustfromtheSakharovDrivedissipatedits
remainingenergiesinthevacuumofspace.

Vasiliwasmakinganannouncement,butthewordswerecompletelyunintelligible.
Floydglancedathiswatchyes,thatwouldberightaboutnow.TheyhadachievedJupiter
escapevelocity.Thegiantcouldneverrecapturethem.
Andthen,thousandsofkilometresahead,agreatbowofbrilliantlightappearedinthe
skythefirstglimpseoftherealJoviandawn,asfullofpromiseasanyrainbowonEarth.
SecondslatertheSunleapeduptogreetthemthegloriousSun,thatwouldnowgrow
brighterandclosereveryday.
Afewmoreminutesofsteadyacceleration,andLeonovwouldbelaunchedirrevocably
onthelongvoyagehome.Floydfeltanoverwhelmingsenseofreliefandrelaxation.The
immutablelawsofcelestialmechanicswouldguidehimthroughtheinnerSolarSystem,
pastthetangledorbitsoftheasteroids,pastMarsnothingcouldstophimfromreaching
Earth.
Intheeuphoriaofthemoment,hehadforgottenallaboutthemysteriousblackstain,
expandingacrossthefaceofJupiter.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

49
DevourerofWorlds

Theysawitagainthenextmorning,ship'stime,asitcamearoundtothedaysideof
Jupiter.Theareaofdarknesshadnowspreaduntilitcoveredanappreciablefractionof
theplanet,andatlasttheywereabletostudyitatleisure,andindetail.
'Doyouknowwhatitremindsmeof?'saidKaterina.'Avirusattackingacell.Thewaya
phageinjectsitsDNAintoabacterium,andthenmultipliesuntilittakesover.'
'Areyousuggesting,'askedTanyaincredulously,'thatZagadkaiseatingJupiter?'
'Itcertainlylookslikeit.'
'NowonderJupiterisbeginningtolooksick.Buthydrogenandheliumwon'tmakea
verynourishingdiet,andthere'snotmuchelseinthatatmosphere.Onlyafewpercentof
otherelements.'
'Whichaddsuptosomequintillionsoftonsofsulphurandcarbonandphosphorusand
everythingelseatthelowerendoftheperiodictable,'Sashapointedout.'Inanycase,
we'retalkingaboutatechnologythatcanprobablydoanythingthatdoesn'tdefythelaws

ofphysics.Ifyouhavehydrogen,whatmoredoyouneed?Withtherightknowhow,you
cansynthesizealltheotherelementsfromit.'
'They'resweepingupJupiterthat'sforsure,'saidVasili.'Lookatthis.'
Anextremecloseupofoneofthemyriadidenticalrectangleswasnowdisplayedonthe
telescopemonitor.Eventothenakedeye,itwasobviousthatstreamsofgaswereflowing
intothetwosmallerfacesthepatternsofturbulencelookedverymuchlikethelinesof
forcerevealedbyironfilings,clusteredaroundtheendsofabarmagnet.
'Amillionvacuumcleaners,'saidCurnow,'suckingupJupiter'satmosphere.Butwhy?
Andwhataretheydoingwithit?'
'Andhowdotheyreproduce?'askedMax.'Haveyoucaughtanyofthemintheact?'
'Yesandno,'answeredVasili.'We'retoofarawaytoseedetails,butit'sakindoffission
likeanamoeba.'
'Youmeantheysplitintwo,andthehalvesgrowbacktotheoriginalsize?'
'Nyet.Therearen'tanylittleZagadkitheyseemtogrowuntilthey'vedoubledin
thickness,thensplitdownthemiddletoproduceidenticaltwins,exactlythesamesizeas
theoriginal.Andthecyclerepeatsitselfinapproximatelytwohours.'
'Twohours!'exclaimedFloyd.'Nowonderthatthey'vespreadoverhalftheplanet.It'sa
textbookcaseofexponentialgrowth.'
'Iknowwhattheyare!'saidTernovskyinsuddenexcitement.'They'revonNeumann
machines!'
'Ibelieveyou'reright,'saidVasili.'Butthatstilldoesn'texplainwhatthey'redoing.
Givingthemalabelisn'tallthatmuchhelp.'
'Andwhat,'askedKaterinaplaintively,'isavonNeumannmachine?Explain,please.'
OrlovandFloydstartedspeakingsimultaneously.Theystoppedinsomeconfusion,
thenVasililaughedandwavedtotheAmerican.
'Supposeyouhadaverybigengineeringjobtodo,KaterinaandImeanbig,likestrip
miningtheentirefaceoftheMoon.Youcouldbuildmillionsofmachinestodoit,butthat
mighttakecenturies.Ifyouwerecleverenough,you'dmakejustonemachinebutwith
theabilitytoreproduceitselffromtherawmaterialsaroundit.Soyou'dstartachain
reaction,andinaveryshorttime,you'dhavebredenoughmachinestodothejobin
decades,insteadofmillennia.Withasufficientlyhighrateofreproduction,youcoulddo
virtuallyanythinginasshortaperiodoftimeasyouwished.TheSpaceAgency'sbeen
toyingwiththeideaforyearsandIknowyouhaveaswell,Tanya.'

'Yes:exponentiatingmachines.OneideathatevenTsiolkovskididn'tthinkof.'
'Iwouldn'tcaretobetonthat,'saidVasili.'Soitlooks,Katerina,asifyouranalogywas
prettyclose.AbacteriophageisavonNeumannmachine.'
'Aren'tweall?'askedSasha.'I'msureChandrawouldsayso.'
Chandranoddedhisagreement.
'That'sobvious.Infact,vonNeumanngottheoriginalideafromstudyingliving
systems.'
'AndtheselivingmachinesareeatingJupiter!'
'Itcertainlylookslikeit,'saidVasili.'I'vebeendoingsomecalculations,andIcan'tquite
believetheanswerseventhoughit'ssimplearithmetic.'
'Itmaybesimpletoyou,'saidKaterina.'Trytoletushaveitwithouttensorsand
differentialequations.'
'NoImeansimple,'insistedVasili.'Infact,it'saperfectexampleoftheoldpopulation
explosionyoudoctorswerealwaysscreamingaboutinthelastcentury.Zagadka
reproduceseverytwohours.Soinonlytwentyhourstherewillbetendoublings.One
Zagadkawillhavebecomeathousand.'
'Onethousandandtwentyfour,'saidChandra.
'Iknow,butlet'skeepitsimple.Afterfortyhourstherewillbeamillionaftereighty,a
millionmillion.That'saboutwherewearenow,andobviously,theincreasecan'tcontinue
indefinitely.Inacouplemoredays,atthisrate,they'llweighmorethanJupiter!'
'Sothey'llsoonbegintostarve,'saidZenia.'Andwhatwillhappenthen?'
'Saturnhadbetterlookout,'answeredBrailovsky.'ThenUranusandNeptune.Let's
hopetheydon'tnoticelittleEarth.'
'Whatahope!Zagadka'sbeenspyingonusforthreemillionyears!'
WalterCurnowsuddenlystartedtolaugh.
'What'ssofunny?'demandedTanya.
'We'retalkingaboutthesethingsasifthey'repersonsintelligententities.They'renot
they'retools.Butgeneralpurposetoolsabletodoanythingtheyhaveto.Theoneonthe
Moonwasasignallingdeviceoraspy,ifyoulike.TheonethatBowmanmetour

originalZagadkawassomekindoftransportationsystem.Nowit'sdoingsomethingelse,
thoughGodknowswhat.AndtheremaybeothersallovertheUniverse,
'IhadjustsuchagadgetwhenIwasakid...DoyouknowwhatZagadkareallyis?Just
thecosmicequivalentofthegoodoldSwissArmyknife!'

VII
LUCIFERRISING

50
FarewelltoJupiter

Itwasnoteasytocomposethemessage,especiallyaftertheonehehadjustsentto
hislawyer.Floydfeltlikeahypocritebutheknewithadtobedonetominimizethepain
thatwasinevitableonbothsides.
Hewassad,butnolongerdisconsolate.BecausehewascomingbacktoEarthinan
auraofsuccessfulachievementevenifnotpreciselyheroism hewouldbebargaining
fromapositionofstrength.NoonenoonewouldbeabletotakeChrisawayfromhim.
'MydearCaroline[itwasnolonger'Mydearest'],Iamonmywayhome.Bythetime
yougetthis,I'llalreadybeinhibernation.Onlyafewhoursfromnow,asitwillseemto
me,I'llopenmyeyesandtherewillbethebeautifulblueEarthhanginginspacebeside
me.
'Yes,Iknowitwillstillbemanymonthsforyou,andI'msorry.Butweknewthat'sthe
wayitwouldbebeforeIleftasitis,I'mgettingbackweeksaheadofschedulebecauseof
thechangeinthemissionplan.
'Ihopewecanworksomethingout.Themainquestionis:What'sbestforChris?
Whateverourownfeelings,wemustputhimfirst.IknowI'mwillingtodoso,andI'msure
youare.'
Floydswitchedofftherecorder.Shouldhesaywhathehadintended:'Aboyneedshis
father?'Noitwouldnotbetactful,andmightonlymakemattersworse.Carolinemight
wellretortthatbetweenbirthandfouryearsolditwasthemotherwhomatteredmosttoa
childandifhehadbelievedotherwise,heshouldhavestayedonEarth.

'...Nowaboutthehouse.I'mgladtheRegentshavetakenthatattitude,whichwillmake
itmucheasierforbothofus.Iknowwebothlovedtheplace,butitwillbetoobignowand
willbringbacktoomanymemories.Forthetimebeing,I'llprobablygetanapartmentin
Hilo:IhopeIcanfindsomepermanentplaceasquicklyaspossible.
'That'sonethingIcanpromiseeveryoneIwon'tleaveEarthagain.I'vehadenoughof
spacetravellingforonelifetime.Oh,perhapstheMoon,ifIreallyhavetobutofcourse
that'sjustaweekendexcursion.
'Andtalkingofmoons,we'vejustpassedtheorbitofSinope,sowe'renowleavingthe
Joviansystem.Jupiterismorethantwentymillionkilometresaway,andisbarelylarger
thanourownMoon.
'Yetevenfromthisdistance,youcantellthatsomethingterriblehashappenedtothe
planet.Itsbeautifulorangecolourhasvanishedit'sakindofsicklygrey,onlyafractionof
itsformerbrilliance.Nowonderit'sonlyafaintstarnowintheskyofEarth.
'Butnothingelsehashappened,andwe'rewellpastthedeadline.Couldthewhole
thinghavebeenafalsealarmorakindofcosmicpracticaljoke?Idoubtifwe'lleverknow.
Anyway,it'sbroughtushomeaheadofschedule,andI'mgratefulforthat.
'Goodbyeforthepresent,Carolineandthankyouforeverything.Ihopewecanstillbe
friends.Andmydearestlove,asever,toChris.'
Whenhehadfinished,Floydsatquietlyforawhileinthetinycubiclehewouldnotneed
muchlonger.Hewasjustabouttocarrytheaudiochipuptothebridgefortransmission,
whenChandracamedriftingin.
Floydhadbeenagreeablysurprisedbythewayinwhichthescientisthadacceptedhis
increasingseparationfromHal.Theywerestillintouchforseveralhourseveryday,
exchangingdataonJupiterandmonitoringconditionsaboardDiscovery.Thoughnoone
hadexpectedanygreatdisplayofemotion,Chandraseemedtobetakinghislosswith
remarkablefortitude.NikolaiTernovsky,hisonlyconfidant,hadbeenabletogiveFloyda
plausibleexplanationofhisbehaviour.
'Chandra'sgotanewinterest,Woody.Rememberhe'sinabusinesswhereif
somethingworks,it'sobsolete.He'slearnedalotinthelastfewmonths.Can'tyouguess
whathe'sdoingnow?'
'Frankly,no.Youtellme.'
'He'sbusydesigningHAL10,000.'
Floyd'sjawdropped.'SothatexplainsthoselogmessagestoUrbanathatSasha'sbeen
grumblingabout. Well,hewon'tbeblockingthecircuitsmuchlonger.'

FloydrecalledtheconversationwhenChandraenteredheknewbetterthantoaskthe
scientistifitwastrue,foritwasreallynoneofhisbusiness.Yettherewasanothermatter
aboutwhichhewasstillcurious.
'Chandra,'hesaid,'Idon'tbelieveIeverthankedyouproperlyforthejobyoudidatthe
flyby,whenyoupersuadedHaltocooperate.Forawhile,Iwasreallyafraidhe'dgiveus
trouble.Butyouwereconfidentallalongandyouwereright.Still,didn'tyouhaveany
qualms?'
'Notatall,DrFloyd.'
'Whynot?Hemusthavefeltthreatenedbythesituationandyouknowwhathappened
lasttime.'
'Therewasabigdifference.IfImaysayso,perhapsthesuccessfuloutcomethistime
hadsomethingtodowithournationalcharacteristics.'
'Idon'tunderstand.'
'Putitthisway,DrFloyd.BowmantriedtouseforceagainstHal.Ididn't.Inmy
languagewehaveawordahimsa.It'susuallytranslatedas"nonviolence",thoughithas
morepositiveimplications.IwascarefultouseahimsainmydealingswithHal.'
'Verycommendable,I'msure.Buttherearetimeswhensomethingmoreenergeticis
needed,regrettablethoughthenecessitymaybe.'Floydpaused,wrestlingwith
temptation.Chandra'sholierthanthouattitudewasalittletiresome.Itwouldn'tdoany
harm,now,totellhimsomeofthefactsoflife.
'I'mgladit'sworkedoutthisway.Butitmightnothavedoneso,andIhadtopreparefor
everyeventuality.Ahimsa,orwhateveryoucallit,isallverywellIdon'tmindadmittingI
hadabackuptoyourphilosophy.IfHalhadbeenwell,stubborn,Icouldhavedealtwith
him.'
FloydhadonceseenChandracryingnowhesawhimlaughing,andthatwasan
equallydisconcertingphenomenon.
'Really,DrFloyd!I'msorryyougivemesuchlowmarksforintelligence.Itwasobvious
fromthebeginningthatyou'dinstallapowercutoutsomewhere.Idisconnecteditmonths
ago.'
WhethertheflabbergastedFloydcouldthinkofasuitableanswerwouldneverbe
known.Hewasstillgivingaverycreditableimitationofagalledfishwhenupontheflight
deckSashacriedout:'Captain!Allhands!Gettothemonitors!BOZHEMOI!LOOKAT
THAT!'

51
TheGreatGame

Nowthelongwaitwasending.Onyetanotherworld,intelligencehadbeenbornand
wasescapingfromitsplanetarycradle.Anancientexperimentwasabouttoreachits
climax.
Thosewhohadbegunthatexperiment,solongago,hadnotbeenmenoreven
remotelyhuman.Buttheywerefleshandblood,andwhentheylookedoutacrossthe
deepsofspace,theyhadfeltawe,andwonder,andloneliness.Assoonasthey
possessedthepower,theysetforthforthestars.Intheirexplorations,theyencountered
lifeinmanyformsandwatchedtheworkingsofevolutiononathousandworlds.Theysaw
howoftenthefirstfaintsparksofintelligenceflickeredanddiedinthecosmicnight.
Andbecause,inalltheGalaxy,theyhadfoundnothingmorepreciousthanMind,they
encourageditsdawningeverywhere.Theybecamefarmersinthefieldsofstarsthey
sowed,andsometimestheyreaped.
Andsometimes,dispassionately,theyhadtoweed.
ThegreatdinosaurshadlongsinceperishedwhenthesurveyshipenteredtheSolar
Systemafteravoyagethathadalreadylastedathousandyears.Itsweptpastthefrozen
outerplanets,pausedbrieflyabovethedesertsofdyingMars,andpresentlylookeddown
onEarth.
Spreadoutbeneaththem,theexplorerssawaworldswarmingwithlife.Foryearsthey
studied,collected,catalogued.Whentheyhadlearnedalltheycould,theybeganto
modify.Theytinkeredwiththedestiniesofmanyspeciesonlandandintheocean.But
whichoftheirexperimentswouldsucceed,theycouldnotknowforatleastamillionyears.
Theywerepatient,buttheywerenotyetimmortal.Somuchremainedtodointhis
universeofahundredbillionsuns,andotherworldswerecalling.Sotheysetoutonce
moreintotheabyss,knowingthattheywouldnevercomethiswayagain.
Norwasthereanyneed.Theservantstheyhadleftbehindwoulddotherest.
OnEarththeglacierscameandwent,whileabovethemthechangelessMoonstill
carrieditssecret.Withayetslowerrhythmthanthepolarice,thetidesofcivilization
ebbedandflowedacrosstheGalaxy.Strangeandbeautifulandterribleempiresroseand
fell,andpassedontheirknowledgetotheirsuccessors.Earthwasnotforgotten,but
anothervisitwouldservelittlepurpose.Itwasoneofamillionsilentworlds,fewofwhich
wouldeverspeak.

Andnow,outamongthestars,evolutionwasdrivingtowardnewgoals.Thefirst
explorersofEarthhadlongsincecometothelimitsoffleshandbloodassoonastheir
machineswerebetterthantheirbodies,itwastimetomove.Firsttheirbrains,andthen
theirthoughtsalone,theytransferredintoshiningnewhomesofmetalandplastic.
Inthese,theyroamedamongthestars.Theynolongerbuiltspaceships.Theywere
spaceships.
ButtheageoftheMachineentitiesswiftlypassed.Intheirceaselessexperimenting,
theyhadlearnedtostoreknowledgeinthestructureofspaceitself,andtopreservetheir
thoughtsforeternityinfrozenlatticesoflight.Theycouldbecomecreaturesofradiation,
freeatlastfromthetyrannyofmatter.
Intopureenergy,therefore,theypresentlytransformedthemselvesandonathousand
worldstheemptyshellstheyhaddiscardedtwitchedforawhileinamindlessdanceof
death,thencrumbledintorust.
TheywerelordsoftheGalaxy,andbeyondthereachoftime.Theycouldroveatwill
amongthestarsandsinklikeasubtlemistthroughtheveryintersticesofspace.But
despitetheirgodlikepowers,theyhadnotwhollyforgottentheirorigininthewarmslimeof
avanishedsea.
Andtheystillwatchedovertheexperimentstheirancestorshadstarted,solongago.

52
Ignition

Hehadneverexpectedtocomethereagain,stilllessonsostrangeamission.When
hereenteredDiscovery,theshipwasfarbehindthefleeingLeonovandclimbingever
moreslowlyuptowardapojove,thehighpointofitsorbitamongtheoutersatellites.Many
acapturedcomet,duringtheagespast,hadswungaroundJupiterinjustsuchalong
ellipse,waitingfortheplayofrivalgravitiestodecideitsultimatefate.
Alllifehaddepartedthefamiliardecksandcorridors.Themenandwomenwhohad
brieflyreawakenedtheshiphadobeyedhiswarningtheymightyetbesafethoughthat
wasstillfarfromcertain.Butasthefinalminutestickedaway,herealizedthatthosewho
controlledhimcouldnotalwayspredicttheoutcomeoftheircosmicgame.
Theyhadnotyetattainedthestupefyingboredom ofabsoluteomnipotencetheir
experimentsdidnotalwayssucceed.ScatteredacrosstheUniversewastheevidenceof

manyfailuressomesoinconspicuousthattheywerealreadylostagainstthecosmic
background,otherssospectacularthattheyawedandbaffledtheastronomersofa
thousandworlds.Onlyminutesremainednow,beforetheoutcomewouldbedetermined
hereduringthosefinalminutes,hewasoncemorealonewithHal.
Inthatearlierexistence,theycouldcommunicateonlythroughtheclumsymediumof
words,tappedonakeyboardorspokenintoamicrophone.Nowtheirthoughtsmelded
togetheratthespeedoflight:
'Doyoureadme,Hal?'
'Yes,Dave.Butwhereareyou?Icannotseeyouonanyofmymonitors.'
'Thatisnotimportant.Ihavenewinstructionsforyou.Theinfraredradiationfrom
JupiteronchannelsR23throughR35isrisingrapidly.Iamgoingtogiveyouasetof
limitingvalues.Assoonastheyarereached,youmustpointthelongrangeantenna
towardEarthandsendthefollowingmessage,asmanytimesaspossible'
'ButthatwillmeanbreakingcontactwithLeonov.Iwillnolongerbeabletorelaymy
Jupiterobservations,accordingtotheprogramDrChandrahasgivenme.'
'Correctbutthesituationhaschanged.AcceptPriorityOverrideAlpha.HerearetheAE
35Unitcoordinates.'
Forafractionofamicrosecond,arandommemoryintrudedintohisflowof
consciousness.HowstrangethatheshouldonceagainbeconcernedwiththeAE35
Antennapointingunit,whosereportedmalfunctionhadledFrankPooletohisdeath!This
time,allthecircuitslayopentohisscrutiny,clearasthelineshadoncebeenonthepalm
ofhishand.Therecouldbenofalsealarmsnorwasthereanydangerofthemnow.
'Instructionsconfirmed,Dave.Itisgoodtobeworkingwithyouagain.HaveIfulfilledmy
missionobjectivesproperly?'
'Yes,Halyouhavedoneverywell.Nowthereisonefinalmessageforyoutotransmit
toEarthanditwillbethemostimportantoneyouhaveeversent.'
'Pleaseletmehaveit,Dave.Butwhydidyousayfinal?'Whyindeed?Forwhole
millisecondsheponderedthatquestion.Andashedidso,hebecameawareofan
emptinesshehadnotdetectedbefore.Ithadbeenthere,butuntilnowthebarrageofnew
experiencesandsensationshadconcealedit.
Heknewsomethingoftheirplanstheyhadneedforhim.Verywell,hetoohadneeds
perhaps,afterafashion,evenemotions.Herewashislastlinkwiththeworldofmen,and
thelifehehadonceknown.

Theyhadgrantedhisearlierrequestitwouldbeinterestingtotesttheextentoftheir
benevolenceif,indeed,suchatermwasremotelyapplicabletothem.Anditshouldbe
easyforthemtodowhathewasaskingtheyhadalreadygivenampleevidenceoftheir
powers,whenthenolongerneededbodyofDavidBowmanhadbeencasuallydestroyed
withoutputtinganendtoDavidBowmanhimself.
Theyhadheardhim,ofcourseonceagain,therewasthefaintechoofanOlympian
amusement.Buthecoulddetectneitheracceptancenordenial.
'Iamstillwaitingforyouranswer,Dave.'
'Correction,Hal.Ishouldhavesaid:yourlastmessageforalongtime.Averylong
time.'
Hewasanticipatingtheiractiontrying,indeed,toforcetheirhand.But,surely,they
wouldunderstandthathisrequestwasnotunreasonablenoconsciousentitycould
surviveagesofisolationwithoutdamage.Eveniftheywouldalwaysbewithhim,healso
neededsomeonesomecompanionnearerhisownlevelofexistence.
Thelanguagesofmankindhadmanywordstodescribehisgesture:cheek,effrontery,
chutzpah.Herecalled,withtheperfectpowerofretrievalhenowpossessed,thataFrench
generalhadoncedeclaimed'L'audacetoujoursl'audace!'Perhapsitwasahuman
characteristicthattheyappreciated,andevenshared.Hewouldsoonknow.
'Hal!Lookatthesignaloninfraredchannels30,29,28itwillbeverysoonnowthe
peakismovingtowardtheshortwave.'
'IaminformingDrChandrathattherewillbeabreakinmydatatransmission.Activating
AE35unit.Reorientatinglongrangeantenna...lockconfirmedonBeaconTerraOne.
Messagecommences:ALLTHESEWORLDS...'
Theyhadindeedleftittothelastminuteorperhapsthecalculationshad,afterall,
beensuperblyaccurate.Therewastimeforbarelyahundredrepetitionsoftheeleven
wordswhenthehammerblowofpureheatsmashedintotheship.
Heldtherebycuriosity,andagrowingfearofthelonglonelinessthatlaybeforehim,
thatwhichhadoncebeenDavidBowman,CommanderofUnitedStatesSpacecraft
Discovery,watchedasthehullboiledstubbornlyaway.Foralongtime,theshipretained
itsapproximateshapethenthebearingsofthecarouselseizedup,releasinginstantlythe
storedmomentumofthehuge,spinningflywheel.Inasoundlessdetonation,the
incandescentfragmentswenttheirmyriadseparateways.
'Hello,Dave.Whathashappened?WhereamI?'
Hehadnotknownthathecouldrelax,andenjoyamomentofsuccessfulachievement.
Oftenbefore,hehadfeltlikeapetdogcontrolledbyamasterwhosemotiveswerenot

whollyinscrutableandwhosebehaviourcouldsometimesbemodifiedaccordingtohis
owndesires.Hehadaskedforaboneithadbeentossedtohim.
'Iwillexplainlater,Hal.Wehaveplentyoftime.'
Theywaiteduntilthelastfragmentsoftheshiphaddispersed,beyondeventheir
powersofdetection.Thentheyleft,towatchthenewdawnattheplacethathadbeen
preparedforthemandtowaitthroughthecenturiesuntiltheyweresummonedonce
again.

Itisnottruethatastronomicaleventsalwaysrequireastronomicalperiodsoftime.The
finalcollapseofastarbeforethefragmentsreboundinasupernovaexplosioncantake
onlyasecondbycomparison,themetamorphosisofJupiterwasalmostaleisurelyaffair.
Evenso,itwasseveralminutesbeforeSashawasabletobelievehiseyes.Hehad
beenmakingaroutinetelescopicexaminationoftheplanetasifanyobservationcould
nowbecalledroutine!whenitstartedtodriftoutofthefieldofview.Foramoment,he
thoughtthattheinstrument'sstabilizationwasfaultythenherealized,withashockthat
joltedhisentireconceptoftheuniverse,thatJupiteritselfwasmoving,notthetelescope.
Theevidencestaredhiminthefacehecouldalsoseetwoofthesmallermoonsand
theywerequitemotionless.
Heswitchedtoalowermagnification,sothathecouldseetheentirediskoftheplanet,
nowaleprous,mottledgrey.Afterafewmoreminutesofincredulity,hesawwhatwas
reallyhappeningbuthecouldstillscarcelybelieveit.
Jupiterwasnotmovingfromitsimmemorialorbit,butitwasdoingsomethingalmostas
impossible.Itwasshrinkingsoswiftlythatitsedgewascreepingacrossthefieldevenas
hefocuseduponit.Atthesametimetheplanetwasbrightening,fromitsdullgreytoa
pearlywhite.Surely,itwasmorebrilliantthanithadeverbeeninthelongyearsthatMan
hadobserveditthereflectedlightoftheSuncouldnotpossiblyAtthatmoment,Sasha
suddenlyrealizedwhatwashappening,thoughnotwhy,andsoundedthegeneralalarm.

WhenFloydreachedtheobservationlounge,lessthanthirtysecondslater,hisfirst
impressionwasoftheblindingglarepouringthroughthewindows,paintingovalsoflight
onthewalls.TheyweresodazzlingthathehadtoaverthiseyesnoteventheSuncould
producesuchbrilliance.
FloydwassoastonishedthatforamomenthedidnotassociatetheglarewithJupiter
thefirstthoughtthatflashedthroughhismindwas:Supernova!Hedismissedthat
explanationalmostassoonasitoccurredtohimeventheSun'snextdoorneighbour,

AlphaCentauri,couldnothavematchedtheawesomedisplayinanyconceivable
explosion
ThelightsuddenlydimmedSashahadoperatedtheexternalsunshields.Nowitwas
possibletolookdirectlyatthesource,andtoseethatitwasamerepinpointjustanother
star,showingnodimensionsatall.ThiscouldhavenothingtodowithJupiterwhenFloyd
hadlookedattheplanetonlyafewminutesago,ithadbeenfourtimeslargerthanthe
distant,shrunkensun.
ItwaswellthatSashahadloweredtheshields.Amomentlater,thattinystarexploded
sothateventhroughthedarkfiltersitwasimpossibletowatchwiththenakedeye.Butthe
finalorgasmoflightlastedonlyabrieffractionofasecondthenJupiterorwhathad
beenJupiterwasexpandingonceagain.
Itcontinuedtoexpand,untilitwasfarlargerthanithadbeenbeforethetransformation.
Soonthesphereoflightwasfadingrapidly,downtomerelysolarbrillianceandpresently
Floydcouldseethatitwasactuallyahollowshell,forthecentralstarwasstillclearly
visibleatitsheart.
Hedidaquickmentalcalculation.Theshipwasmorethanonelightminutefrom
Jupiter,yetthatexpandingshellnowturningintoabrightedgedringalreadycovereda
quarterofthesky.ThatmeantitwascomingtowardthematMyGod!nearlyhalfthe
speedoflight.Withinminutes,itwouldengulftheship.
Untilthen,noonehadspokenawordsinceSasha'sfirstannouncement.Somedangers
aresospectacularandsomuchbeyondnormalexperiencethatthemindrefusesto
acceptthemasreal,andwatchestheapproachofdoomwithoutanysenseof
apprehension.Themanwholooksattheonrushingtidalwave,thedescendingavalanche,
orthespinningfunnelofthetornado,yetmakesnoattempttoflee,isnotnecessarily
paralysedwithfrightorresignedtoanunavoidablefate.Hemaysimplybeunableto
believethatthemessageofhiseyesconcernshimpersonally.Itisallhappeningto
somebodyelse.
Asmighthavebeenexpected,Tanyawasthefirsttobreakthespell,withaseriesof
ordersthatbroughtVasiliandFloydhurryingtothebridge.
'Whatdowedonow?'sheasked,whentheyhadassembled.
Wecertainlycan'trunaway,thoughtFloyd.Butperhapswecanimprovetheodds.
'The'ship'sbroadsideon,'hesaid.'Shouldn'tweturnawayfromthatthingsowe'rea
smallertarget?Andgetasmuchofourmassaswecanbetweenitandus,toactasa
radiationshield?'
Vasili'sfingerswerealreadyflyingoverthecontrols.

'You'reright,Woodythoughit'salreadytoolateasfarasanygammasandXraysare
concerned.Buttheremaybeslowerneutronsandalphasandheavenknowswhatelse
stillontheway.'
Thepatternsoflightbegantoslidedownthewallsastheshipturnedponderouslyonits
axis.PresentlytheyvanishedcompletelyLeonovwasnoworientedsothatvirtuallyallits
masslaybetweenthefragilehumancargoandtheapproachingshellofradiation.
Willweactuallyfeeltheshockwave,wonderedFloyd,orwilltheexpandinggasesbe
tootenuoustohaveanyphysicaleffectbythetimetheyreachus?Seenfromtheexternal
cameras,theringoffirenowalmostencircledthesky.Butitwasfadingrapidlysomeof
thebrighterstarscouldevenbeseenshiningthroughit.We'regoingtolive,thoughtFloyd.
We'vewitnessedthedestructionofthegreatestofplanetsandwe'vesurvived.
Andpresentlythecamerasshowednothingexceptstarsevenifonewasamillion
timesbrighterthanalltheothers.ThebubbleoffireblownbyJupiterhadswept
harmlesslypastthem,impressivethoughithadbeen.Attheirdistancefromthesource,
onlytheship'sinstrumentshadrecordeditspassing.
Slowly,thetensionaboardrelaxed.Asalwayshappensinsuchcircumstances,people
startedtolaughandtomakesillyjokes.Floydscarcelyheardthemdespitehisreliefat
stillbeingalive,hefeltasenseofsadness.
Somethinggreatandwonderfulhadbeendestroyed.Jupiter,withallitsbeautyand
grandeurandnownevertobesolvedmysteries,hadceasedtoexist.Thefatherofallthe
godshadbeenstruckdowninhisprime.
Yettherewasanotherwayoflookingatthesituation.TheyhadlostJupiter:Whathad
theygainedinitsplace?
Tanya,judginghermomentnicely,rappedforattention.
'Vasilianydamage?'
'Nothingseriousonecameraburnedout.Allradiationmetersstillwellabovenormal,
butnoneneardangerlimits.'
'Katerinacheckthetotaldosagewe'vereceived.Itlooksasifwewerelucky,unless
therearemoresurprises.WecertainlyoweavoteofthankstoBowmanandtoyou,
Heywood.Doyouhaveanyideawhathappened?'
'OnlythatJupiter'sturnedintoasun.'
'Ialwaysthoughtitwasmuchtoosmallforthat.Didn'tsomeoneoncecallJupiter"the
sunthatfailed"?'

'That'strue,'saidVasili,'Jupiteristoosmallforfusiontostartunaided.'
'Youmean,we'vejustseenanexampleofastronomicalengineering?'
'Undoubtedly.NowweknowwhatZagadkawasupto.'
'Howdiditdothetrick?Ifyouweregiventhecontract,Vasili,howwouldyouignite
Jupiter?'
Vasilithoughtforaminute,thenshruggedwryly.'I'monlyatheoreticalastronomerI
don'thavemuchexperienceinthislineofbusiness.Butlet'ssee...Well,ifI'mnotallowed
toaddabouttenJupitermasses,orchangethegravitationalconstant,IsupposeI'llhave
tomaketheplanetdenserhmm,that'sanidea...'
Hisvoicetrailedoffintosilenceeveryonewaitedpatiently,eyesflickeringfromtimeto
timetotheviewingscreens.
ThestarthathadbeenJupiterseemedtohavesettleddownafteritsexplosivebirthit
wasnowadazzlingpointoflight,almostequaltotherealSuninapparentbrilliance.
'I'mjustthinkingoutloudbutitmightbedonethisway.Jupiteriswasmostly
hydrogen.Ifalargepercentagecouldbeconvertedintomuchdensermaterialwho
knows,evenneutronmatter?thatwoulddropdowntothecore.Maybethat'swhatthe
billionsofZagadkasweredoingwithallthegastheyweresuckingin.Nucleosynthesis
buildinguphigherelementsfrompurehydrogen.Thatwouldbeatrickworthknowing!No
moreshortageofanymetalgoldascheapasaluminium!'
'Buthowwouldthatexplainwhathappened?'askedTanya.
'Whenthecorebecamedenseenough,Jupiterwouldcollapseprobablyinamatterof
seconds.Thetemperaturewouldrisehighenoughtostartfusion.Oh,Icanseeadozen
objectionshowwouldtheygetpasttheironminimumwhataboutradiativetransfer
Chandrasekhar'slimit.Nevermind.ThistheorywilldotostartwithI'llworkoutthedetails
later.OrI'llthinkofabetterone.'
'I'msureyouwill,Vasili,'Floydagreed.'Butthere'samoreimportantquestion.Whydid
theydoit?'
'Awarning?'venturedKaterinaovertheship'sintercom.
'Againstwhat?'
'We'llfindthatoutlater.'
'Idon'tsuppose,'saidZeniadiffidently,'thatitwasanaccident?'

Thatbroughtthediscussiontoadeadhaltforseveralseconds.
'Whataterrifyingidea!'saidFloyd.'ButIthinkwecanruleitout.Ifthatwasthecase,
there'dhavebeennowarnPerhaps.Ifyoustartaforestfirebecauseyou'vebeen
careless,atleastyoudoyourbesttowarneveryone.'
'Andthere'sanotherthingwe'llprobablyneverknow,'lamentedVasili.'Ialwayshoped
CarlSaganwouldberight,andthere'dbelifeonJupiter.'
'Ourprobesneversawany.'
'Whatchancedidtheyhave?WouldyoufindanylifeonEarth,ifyoulookedatafew
hectaresoftheSaharaortheAntarctic?That'saboutallweeverdidonJupiter.'
'Hey!'saidBrailovsky.'WhataboutDiscoveryandHal?'Sashaswitchedonthelong
rangereceiverandstartedtosearchonthebeaconfrequency.Therewasnotraceofa
signal.
Afterawhile,heannouncedtothesilentlywaitinggroup:
'Discovery'sgone.'
NoonelookedatDrChandrabuttherewereafewmutedwordsofsympathy,asifin
consolationtoafatherwhohadjustlostason.
ButHalhadonelastsurpriseforthem.

53
AGiftofWorlds

TheradiomessagebeamedtoEarthmusthaveleftDiscoveryonlyminutesbeforethe
blastofradiationengulfedtheship.Itwasinplaintextandmerelyrepeatedoverandover
again:

ALLTHESEWORLDSAREYOURSEXCEPTEUROPA.
ATTEMPTNOLANDINGSTHERE.

Therewereaboutahundredrepetitionsthenthelettersbecamegarbled,andthe
transmissionceased.
'Ibegintounderstand,'saidFloyd,whenthemessagehadbeenrelayedbyanawed
andanxiousMissionControl.
'That'squiteapartingpresentanewsun,andtheplanetsaroundit.'
'Butwhyonlythree?'askedTanya.
'Let'snotbegreedy,'Floydreplied.'Icanthinkofoneverygoodreason.Weknow
there'slifeonEuropa.Bowmanorhisfriends,whoevertheymaybewantustoleaveit
alone.'
'Thatmakesgoodsenseinanotherway,'saidVasili.'I'vebeendoingsomecalculations.
AssumingthatSol2hassettleddownandwillcontinuetoradiateatitspresentlevel,
Europashouldhaveanicetropicalclimatewhentheicehasmelted.Whichit'sdoing
prettyquicklyrightnow.'
'Whatabouttheothermoons?'
'Ganymedewillbequitepleasantthedaysidewillbetemperate.Callistowillbevery
coldthoughifthere'smuchoutgassing,thenewatmospheremaymakeithabitable.But
Iowillbeevenworsethanitisnow,Iexpect.'
'Nogreatloss.Itwashellevenbeforethishappened.'
'Don'twriteoffIo,'saidCurnow.'IknowalotofTexaraboilmenwho'dlovetotackleit,
justongeneralprinciples.Theremustbesomethingvaluable,inaplaceasnastyasthat.
Andbytheway,I'vejusthadaratherdisturbingthought.'
'Anythingthatdisturbsyoumustbeserious,'saidVasili.'Whatisit?'
'WhydidHalsendthatmessagetoEarth,andnottous?Weweremuchcloser.'
TherewasaratherlongsilencethenFloydsaidthoughtfully:'Iseewhatyoumean.
PerhapshewantedtomakecertainitwasreceivedonEarth.'
'Butheknewwewouldrelayitoh!'Tanya'seyeswidened,asifshehadjustbecome
awareofsomethingunpleasant.
'You'velostme,'complainedVasili.

'IthinkthisiswhatWalter'sdrivingat,'saidFloyd.'It'sallverywelltofeelgratefulto
Bowmanorwhatevergavethatwarning.Butthat'salltheydid.Wecouldstillhavebeen
killed.'
'Butweweren't,'answeredTanya.'Wesavedourselvesbyourownefforts.And
perhapsthatwasthewholeidea.Ifwehadn'twewouldn'thavebeenworthsaving.You
know,survivalofthefittest.Darwinianselection.Eliminatingthegenesforstupidity.'
'I'veanunpleasantfeelingyou'reright,'saidCurnow.'Andifwe'dstucktoourlaunch
date,andnotusedDiscoveryasabooster,wouldit,orthey,havedoneanythingtosave
us?Thatwouldn'thaverequiredmuchextraeffortforanintelligencethatcouldblowup
Jupiter.'
Therewasanuneasysilence,brokenatlastbyHeywoodFloyd.
'Onthewhole,'hesaid,'I'mverygladthat'sonequestionwe'llnevergetanswered.'

54
BetweenSuns

TheRussians,thoughtFloyd,aregoingtomissWalter'ssongsandwisecracksonthe
wayhome.Aftertheexcitementofthelastfewdays,thelongfallSunwardand
Earthwardwillseemamonotonousanticlimax.Butamonotonous,uneventfultripwas
whateveryonedevoutlyhopedfor.
Hewasalreadyfeelingsleepy,butwasstillawareofhissurroundingsandcapableof
reactingtothem.WillIlookasdeadwhenI'minhibernation?heaskedhimself.Itwas
alwaysdisconcertingtolookatanotherpersonespeciallysomeoneveryfamiliarwhen
hehadenteredthelongsleep.
Perhapsitwastoopoignantareminderofone'sownmortality.
Curnowwascompletelyout,butChandrawasstillawake,thoughalreadygroggyfrom
thefinalinjection.Hewasobviouslynolongerhimself,forheseemedquiteunperturbed
byhisownnakednessorKaterina'swatchfulpresence.Thegoldlingamthatwashisonly
articleofclothingkepttryingtofloatawayfromhim,untilitschainrecapturedit.
'Everythinggoingokay,Katerina?'askedFloyd.
'Perfectly.ButhowIenvyyou.Intwentyminutes,you'llbehome.'

'Ifthat'sanyconsolationhowcanyoubesurewewon'thavesomehorribledreams?'
'Noone'severreportedany.'
'Ahtheymayforgetthemwhentheywakeup.'
Katerina,asusual,tookhimquiteseriously.'Impossible.Ifthereweredreamsin
hibernation,theEEGrecordswouldhaverevealedthem.Okay,Chandracloseyour
eyes.Ahtherehegoes.Nowit'syourturn,Heywood.Theshipwillseemverystrange
withoutyou.'
'Thanks,Katerina...hopeyouhaveanicetrip.'
Drowsythoughhewas,FloydbecameawarethatSurgeonCommanderRudenko
seemedalittleuncertain,evencoulditbe?shy.Itlookedasifshewantedtotellhim
something,butcouldn'tmakeuphermind.
'Whatisit,Katerina?'hesaidsleepily.
'Ihaven'ttoldanyoneelseyetbutyoucertainlywon'tbetalking.Here'salittle
surprise.'
'You'd...better...hurry...'
'MaxandZeniaaregoingtogetmarried.'
'That...is...supposed...to...be...a...surprise?...'
'No.It'sjusttoprepareyou.WhenwegetbacktoEarth,soareWalterandI.Whatdo
youthinkofthat?'
NowIunderstandwhyyouwerespendingsomuchtimetogether.Yes,itisindeeda
surprise...whowouldhavethoughtit!
'I'm...very...happy...to...hear...'
Floyd'svoicefadedoutbeforehecouldcompletethesentence.Buthewasnotyet
unconscious,andwasstillabletofocussomeofhisdissolvingintellectonthisnew
situation.
Ireallydon'tbelieveit,hesaidtohimself.Walterwillprobablychangehismindbefore
hewakesup.
Andthenhehadonefinalthought,justbeforehewenttosleephimself.IfWalterdoes
changehismind,he'dbetternotwakeup.

DrHeywoodFloydthoughtthatwasveryfunny.Therestofthecrewoftenwondered
whyhewassmilingallthewaybacktoEarth.

55
LuciferRising

FiftytimesmorebrilliantthanthefullMoon,LuciferhadtransformedtheskiesofEarth,
virtuallybanishingnightformonthsatatime.Despiteitssinisterconnotations,thename
wasinevitableandindeed'Lightbringer'hadbroughtevilaswellasgood.Onlythe
centuriesandthemillenniawouldshowinwhichdirectionthebalancetilted.
Onthecreditside,theendofnighthadvastlyextendedthescopeofhumanactivity,
especiallyinthelessdevelopedcountries.Everywhere,theneedforartificiallightinghad
beensubstantiallyreduced,withresultinghugesavingsinelectricalpower.Itwasasifa
giantlamphadbeenhoistedintospace,toshineuponhalftheglobe.Evenindaytime
Luciferwasadazzlingobject,castingdistinctshadows.
Farmers,mayorscitymanagers,police,seamen,andalmostallthoseengagedin
outdooractivitiesespeciallyinremoteareaswelcomedLuciferithadmadetheirlives
muchsaferandeasier.Butitwashatedbylovers,criminals,naturalists,andastronomers.
Thefirsttwogroupsfoundtheiractivitiesseriouslyrestricted,whilenaturalistswere
concernedaboutLucifer'simpactuponanimallife.Manynocturnalcreatureshadbeen
seriouslyaffected,whileothershadmanagedtoadapt.ThePacificgrunion,whose
celebratedmatingpatternwaslockedtohightidesandmoonlessnights,wasingrave
trouble,andseemedtobeheadingforrapidextinction.
Andso,itseemed,wereEarthbasedastronomers.Thatwasnotsuchascientific
catastropheasitwouldoncehavebeen,formorethanfiftypercentofastronomical
researchdependeduponinstrumentsinspaceorontheMoon.Theycouldbeeasily
shieldedfromLucifer'sglarebutterrestrialobservatorieswereseriouslyinconvenienced
bythenewsuninwhathadoncebeenthenightsky.
Thehumanracewouldadapt,asithaddonetosomanychangesinthepast.A
generationwouldsoonbebornthathadneverknownaworldwithoutLuciferbutthat
brightestofallstarswouldbeaneternalquestiontoeverythinkingmanandwoman.
WhyhadJupiterbeensacrificedandhowlongwouldthenewsunradiate?Wouldit
burnoutquickly,orwoulditmaintainitspowerforthousandsofyearsperhapsforthe
lifetimeofthehumanrace?Aboveall,whytheinterdictionuponEuropa,aworldnowas
cloudcoveredasVenus?

TheremustbeanswerstothosequestionsandMankindwouldneverbesatisfieduntil
ithadfoundthem.

Epilogue:20,001

Andbecause,inalltheGalaxy,theyhadfoundnothingmorepreciousthanMind,they
encourageditsdawningeverywhere.Theybecamefarmersinthefieldsofstarsthey
sowed,andsometimestheyreaped.Andsometimes,dispassionately,theyhadtoweed.

OnlyduringthelastfewgenerationshavetheEuropansventuredintotheFarside,
beyondthelightandwarmthoftheirneversettingsun,intothewildernesswheretheice
thatoncecoveredalltheirworldmaystillbefound.Andevenfewerhaveremainedthere
tofacethebriefandfearfulnightthatcomes,whenthebrilliantbutpowerlessColdSun
sinksbelowthehorizon.
Yetalready,thosefewhardyexplorershavediscoveredthattheUniversearoundthem
isstrangerthantheyeverimagined.Thesensitiveeyestheydevelopedinthedimoceans
stillservethemwelltheycanseethestarsandtheotherbodiesmovingintheirsky.They
havebeguntolaythefoundationsofastronomy,andsomedaringthinkershave,even
surmisedthatthegreatworldofEuropaisnotthewholeofcreation.
Verysoonaftertheyhademergedfromtheocean,duringtheexplosivelyswiftevolution
forceduponthembythemeltingoftheice,theyhadrealizedthattheobjectsintheskyfell
intothreedistinctclasses.Mostimportant,ofcourse,wasthesun.Somelegendsthough
fewtookthemseriouslyclaimedthatithadnotalwaysbeenthere,buthadappeared
suddenly,heraldingabrief,cataclysmicageoftransformation,whenmuchofEuropa's
teeminglifehadbeendestroyed.Ifthatwasindeedtrue,itwasasmallpricetopayforthe
benefitsthatpoureddownfromthetiny,inexhaustiblesourceofenergythathung
unmovinginthesky.
PerhapstheColdSunwasitsdistantbrother,banishedforsomecrimeandcondemned
tomarchforeveraroundthevaultofheaven.Itwasofnoimportanceexcepttothose
peculiarEuropanswhowerealwaysaskingquestionsaboutmattersthatallsensiblefolk
tookforgranted.
Still,itmustbeadmittedthatthosecrankshadmadesomeinterestingdiscoveries
duringtheirexcursionsintothedarknessofFarside.Theyclaimedthoughthiswashard
tobelievethatthewholeskywassprinkledwithuncountablemyriadsoftinylights,even

smallerandfeeblerthantheColdSun.Theyvariedgreatlyinbrillianceandthoughthey
roseandset,theynevermovedfromtheirfixedpositions.
Againstthisbackground,therewerethreeobjectsthatdidmove,apparentlyobeying
complexlawsthatnoonehadyetbeenabletofathom.Andunlikealltheothersinthesky,
theywerequitelargethoughbothshapeandsizevariedcontinually.Sometimesthey
weredisks,sometimeshalfcircles,sometimesslimcrescents.Theywereobviouslycloser
thanalltheotherbodiesintheUniverse,fortheirsurfacesshowedanimmensewealthof
complexandeverchangingdetail.
Thetheorythattheywereindeedotherworldshadatlastbeenacceptedthoughno
oneexceptafewfanaticsbelievedthattheycouldbeanythinglikeaslarge,oras
important,asEuropa.OnelaytowardtheSun,andwasinaconstantstateofturmoil.On
itsnightsidecouldbeseentheglowofgreatfiresaphenomenonstillbeyondthe
understandingoftheEuropans,fortheiratmosphere,asyet,containsnooxygen.And
sometimesvastexplosionshurlcloudsofdebrisupfromthesurfaceifthesunwardglobe
isindeedaworld,itmustbeaveryunpleasantplacetolive.Perhapsevenworsethanthe
nightsideofEuropa.
Thetwoouter,andmoredistant,spheresseemtobemuchlessviolentplaces,yetin
somewaystheyareevenmoremysterious.Whendarknessfallsupontheirsurfaces,they
tooshowpatchesoflight,buttheseareverydifferentfromtheswiftlychangingfiresofthe
turbulentinnerworld.Theyburnwithanalmoststeadybrilliance,andareconcentratedin
afewsmallareasthoughoverthegenerations,theseareashavegrown,andmultiplied.
Butstrangestofallarethelights,fierceastinysuns,thatcanoftenbeobservedmoving
acrossthedarknessbetweentheseotherworlds.Once,recallingthebioluminescenceof
theirownseas,someEuropanshadspeculatedthatthesemightindeedbeliving
creaturesbuttheirintensitymakesthatalmostincredible.Nevertheless,moreandmore
thinkersbelievethattheselightsthefixedpatterns,andmovingsunsmustbesome
strangemanifestationoflife.
Againstthis,however,thereisoneverypotentargument.Iftheyarelivingthings,why
dotheynevercometoEuropa?
Yettherearelegends.Thousandsofgenerationsago,soonaftertheconquestofthe
land,itissaidthatsomeofthoselightscameverycloseindeedbuttheyalways
explodedinskyfillingblaststhatfaroutshonetheSun.Andstrange,hardmetalsrained
downuponthelandsomeofthemarestillworshippedtothisday.
Noneisasholy,though,asthehuge,blackmonoliththatstandsonthefrontierof
eternalday,onesideforeverturnedtotheunmovingSun,theotherfacingintothelandof
night.TentimestheheightofthetallestEuropanevenwhenheraiseshistendrilstothe
fullestextentitistheverysymbolofmysteryandunattainability.Forithasneverbeen
toucheditcanonlybeworshippedfromafar.ArounditliestheCircleofPower,which
repelsallwhotrytoapproach.

Itisthatsamepower,manybelieve,thatkeepsatbaythosemovinglightsinthesky.If
iteverfails,theywilldescenduponthevirgincontinentsandshrinkingseasofEuropa,
andtheirpurposewillberevealedatlast.

TheEuropanswouldbesurprisedtoknowwithwhatintensityandbaffledwonderthat
blackmonolithisalsostudiedbythemindsbehindthosemovinglights.Forcenturiesnow
theirautomaticprobeshavemadeacautiousdescentfrom orbitalwayswiththesame
disastrousresult.Foruntilthetimeisripe,themonolithwillpermitnocontact.
Whenthattimecomeswhen,perhaps,theEuropanshaveinventedradioand
discoveredthemessagescontinuallybombardingthemfromsocloseathandthe
monolithmaychangeitsstrategy.Itmayoritmaynotchoosetoreleasetheentities
whoslumberwithinit,sothattheycanbridgethegulfbetweentheEuropansandtherace
towhichtheyonceheldallegiance.
Anditmaybethatnosuchbridgeispossible,andthattwosuchalienformsof
consciousnesscannevercoexist.Ifthisisso,thenonlyoneofthemcaninherittheSolar
System.
Whichitwillbe,noteventheGodsknowyet.

Acknowledgements

Myfirstthanks,ofcourse,mustgotoStanleyKubrick,whoaratherlongtimeagowrote
toaskifIhadanyideasforthe'proverbialgoodsciencefictionmovie'.
Next,myappreciationtomyfriendandagent(thetwoarenotalwayssynonymous)
ScottMeredith,forperceivingthatatenpagemovieoutlineIsenthimasanintellectual
exercisehadratherwiderpossibilities,andthatIowedittoposterity,etc.,etc.
Otherthanksaredueto:
SeorJorgeLuizCalifeofRiodeJaneiro,foraletterwhichstartedmethinking
seriouslyaboutapossiblesequel(afterI'dsaidforyearsthatonewasclearlyimpossible).
DrBruceMurray,pastDirectoroftheJetPropulsionLaboratory,Pasadena,andDr
FrankJordan,alsoofJPL,forcomputingtheLagrange1positionintheIoJupitersystem.
Oddlyenough,Ihadmadeidenticalcalculationsthirtyfouryearsearlierforthecolinear
EarthMoonLagrangepoints('StationaryOrbits',JournaloftheBritishAstronomical

Association,December1947)butInolongertrustmyabilitytosolvequinticequations,
evenwiththehelpofHAL,Jr.,mytrustyH/P91OOA.
NewAmericanLibraryandHutchinson&Co.,publishersof2001:ASpaceOdyssey,for
permissiontousethematerialinChapter51(Chapter37of2001:ASpaceOdyssey)and
alsoquotationsinChapters30and40.
GeneralPotter,USArmyCorpsofEngineers,forfindingtimeinhisbusyscheduleto
showmearoundEPCOTin1969whenitwasonlyafewlargeholesintheground.
WendellSolomons,forhelpwithRussian(andRusslish).
JeanMichelJarre,Vangelis,andtheincomparableJohnWilliams,forinspiration
wheneveritwasneeded.
C.P.Cavafyfor'WaitingfortheBarbarians'.

Whilewritingthisbook,IdiscoveredthattheconceptofrefuellingonEuropahadbeen
discussedinapaper,'Outerplanetsatellitereturnmissionsusinginsitupropellant
production',byAsh,Stancati,Niehoff,andCuda(ActaAstronauticaVIII,56,MayJune
1981).
Theideaofautomaticallyexponentiatingsystems(vonNeumannmachines)for
extraterrestrialmininghasbeenseriouslydevelopedbyvonTiesenhausenandDarbroat
NASA'sMarshallSpaceFlightCenter(see'SelfReplicatingSystems'NASATechnical
Memorandum78304).IfanyonedoubtsthepowerofsuchsystemstocopewithJupiter,I
referthemtothestudyshowinghowselfreplicatingfactoriescouldcutproductiontimefor
asolarpowercollectorfrom60,000yearstoameretwenty.
Thestartlingideathatgasgiantsmighthavediamondcoreshasbeenseriouslyput
forwardbyM.RossandF.ReeoftheLawrenceLivermoreLaboratory,Universityof
California,forthecasesofUranusandNeptune.Itseemstomethatanythingtheycando,
Jupitercoulddobetter.DeBeersshareholders,pleasenote.
FormoredetailsontheaeriallifeformsthatmightexistintheJovianatmosphere,see
mystory'AMeetingWithMedusa'(inTheWindFromtheSun).Suchcreatureshavebeen
beautifullydepictedbyAdolfSchallerinPart2ofCarlSagan'sCosmos('OneVoiceinthe
CosmicFugue'),bothbookandTVseries.
ThefascinatingideathattheremightbelifeonEuropa,beneathicecoveredoceans
keptliquidbythesameJoviantidalforcesthatheatIo,wasfirstproposedbyRichardC.
HoaglandinthemagazineStarandSky('TheEuropaEnigma',January1980).Thisquite
brilliantconcepthasbeentakenseriouslybyanumberofastronomers(notablyNASA's

InstituteofSpaceStudies'DrRobertJastrow),andmayprovideoneofthebestmotives
fortheprojectedGALILEOMission.

Andfinally:ValerieandHector,forprovidingthelifesupportsystem
Cherene,forpunctuatingeverychapterwithstickykisses
Steve,forbeinghere.

COLOMBO,SRILANKA
JULY1981MARCH1982

ThisbookwaswrittenonanArchivesIIImicrocomputerwithWordStarsoftwareand
sentfromColombotoNewYorkononefiveinchdiskette.Lastminutecorrectionswere
transmittedthroughthePadukkaEarthStationandtheIndianOceanIntelsatV.