Let's say we put the unit back and it doesn't fail, huh? That would pretty well wrap it up as far as HAL is concerned, wouldn't it?

Well, we'd be in very serious trouble.

We would, wouldn't we?

Hmm, hmm.

What the hell can we do?

Well, we wouldn't have too many alternatives.

I don't think we'd have any alternatives. There isn't a single aspect of ship operations that's not under his control. If he were proven to be malfunctioning, I wouldn't see how we would have any choice but disconnection.

I'm afraid I agree with you.

There'd be nothing else to do.

It would be a bit tricky.

Yeah.

We would have to cut his higher-brain functions...without disturbing the purely automatic and regulatory systems. And we'd have to work out the transfer procedures of continuing the mission under ground-based computer control.

Yeah. Well that's far safer than allowing HAL to continue running things.

You know, another thing just occurred to me...Well, as far as I know, no 9000 computer has ever been disconnected.

No 9000 computer has ever fouled up before.

That's not what I mean...Well I'm not so sure what he'd think about it.