2001: A Space Odyssey Page #3

Before he realizes it, he is face to face with Big-Tooth, and

the two tribes come to a halt many paces away.

The disorganized and unscientific conflict could have ended

quickly if either had used his fist as a club, but this

innovation still lay hundreds of thousands of years in the

future. Instead, the slowly weakening fighters claw and

scratch and try to bite each other.

Rolling over and over, they come to a patch of stony ground,

and when they reach it Moonwatcher is on top. By chance,

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A8

CONTINUED:

he chooses this moment to grab the hair on Big-Tooth's scalp,

and bang his head on the ground. The resulting CRACK is

so satisfactory, and produces such an immediate weakening

In Big - Tooth's resistance, that he quickly repeats it.

Even when Big-Tooth ceases to move for some time, Moon-

watcher keeps up the exhilirating game.

With shrieks of panic, the Others retreat back, across the

stream. The defenders cautiously pursue them as far as

The water's edge.

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EXT CAVE - NEW SOUND

Dozing fitfully and weakened by his stuggle, Moonwatcher is

startled by a sound.

He sits up in the fetid darkness of the cave, straining his

senses out into the night, and fear creeps slowly into his soul.

Never in his life - already twice as long as most members of

his species could expect - has he heard a sound like this. The

great cats approached in silence, and the only thing that

betrayed them was a rare slide of earth, or the occasional

cracking of a twig. Yet this is a continuing crunching noise

that grows steadily louder. It seemed that some enormous

beast was moving through the night, making no attempt at

concealment, and ignoring all obstacles.

And then there came a sound which Moonwatcher could not

possibly have identified, for it had never been heard before

in the history of this planet.

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A10

EXT CAVE - NEW ROCK

Moonwatcher comes face to face with the New Rock when he

leads the tribe down to the river in the first light of morning.

He had almost forgotten the terror of the night, because nothing

had happened after that initial noise, so he does not even

associate this strange thing with danger or with fear. There

is nothing in the least alarming about it.

It is a cube about fifteen feet on a side, and it is made of

some completely transparent material; indeed, it is not easy

to see except when the light of the sun glints on its edges.

There are no natural objects to which Moonwatcher can

compare this apparition. Though he is wisely cautious

of most new things, he does not hesitate to walk up to it.

As nothing happens, he puts out his hand, and feels a warm,

hard surface.

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