In a sere African landscape, a group of ape-like hominids and some tapirs compete for meagre green plants.
The spinning bone segues to spaceships above Earth. A Pan-Am space shuttle approaches a large spinning space station.
Dr. Floyd: [after completing the space station's voice-print identification] See you on the way back.
Dr Floyd: Don’t suppose you have any idea what the damn thing is, huh?
Dr. Rolf Halvorsen: Wish to hell we did.
A long narrow spacecraft moves through space, its parabolic antennae pointing backwards.
Dave: Hello, HAL. Do you read me, HAL?
HAL: Affirmative, Dave. I read you.
Dave: Open the pod bay doors, HAL.
HAL: Just what do you think you’re doing, Dave?
