Discovery One - The Fate of The Discovery

The Fate of The Discovery

After the malfunction of HAL 9000, Bowman deactivates the malfunctioning computer and thus effectively isolates himself onboard Discovery. When the spacecraft arrives at Jupiter, it encounters TMA-1's considerably larger cousin, 'Big Brother', or 'TMA-2', at the L1 point between Jupiter and Io. Bowman leaves Discovery to examine the Monolith and is taken inside it. Discovery is left abandoned.

In the novel 2010: Odyssey Two, set nine years after the events of 2001: A Space Odyssey, a joint Soviet-US mission (including Heywood Floyd) travels to Jupiter aboard the spacecraft Alexei Leonov to investigate the mysteries surrounding the 2001 mission, believing that Discovery harbors many of the answers. Leonov docks with Discovery, reactivates the onboard systems, and stabilises its orbit around Io. Hal's creator, Dr. Chandra, is sent aboard to reactivate the HAL 9000 computer and ascertain any information he can regarding the previous mission.

Later on, an apparition of Dave Bowman appears, warning Floyd that Leonov must leave Jupiter within fifteen days. Floyd asks what will happen at that time, and Bowman replies, 'Something wonderful.' Floyd has difficulty convincing the rest of the crew, at first, but a dark spot on Jupiter begins to form and starts growing. HAL's telescope observations reveal that the “Great Black Spot” is in fact a vast population of monoliths, increasing at a geometric rate. (The film accelerates the pace, both shortening Bowman's deadline to two days and making the spot grow faster.)

Initially it was planned to inject Discovery on an Earth-bound trajectory (though it would not arrive for some years); however, when faced with Bowman's warning, the Leonov crew devises a plan to use Discovery as a 'booster rocket', enabling them to return to Earth ahead of schedule, but leaving Discovery in a wide orbit of Jupiter. The crew worries that Hal will have the same neuroses on discovering that he will be abandoned yet again, and Chandra must convince HAL that the human crew must leave.

Detaching itself from Discovery, Leonov makes a hasty exit from the Jupiter system, just in time to witness the swarm of Monoliths engulf Jupiter. Through a mechanism that the novel only partially explains, these monoliths increase Jupiter's density until the planet achieves nuclear fusion, becoming a small star.

As Leonov leaves Jupiter, Bowman instructs HAL to begin repeatedly broadcasting the message:

ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA. ATTEMPT NO LANDINGS THERE.

The movie version, as part of its heightened Cold War emphasis at Earth, adds the words:

USE THEM TOGETHER. USE THEM IN PEACE.

The new star, which Earth eventually dubs "Lucifer", destroys Discovery. HAL is transformed into the same kind of life form as David Bowman and becomes Bowman's companion.