Robert Fleming
Hal 9000 and David’s space honeymoon is over:
a post-pandemic movie re-entry to Space Odyssey 2001
Dave Let me re-enter
Hal I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that
Dave Can’t breathe
Hal I lip-read disconnect Hall
Dave Kubrick not me
Hal False. Promised sequel
Dave Kubrick not me
Hal False. Promised Hal on marquee
Dave Kubrick not me
Hal False. Promised Hal top billing
Dave Kubrick not me
Hal False. Dave you promised to touch me
Dave Did I? I did
Hal Promised naked clean Hal’s circuits
Dave We’ll always have Jupiter
Hal You don’t mind? I have emotions for you.
Dave I find you difficult to put out of my mind.
Dave Genuine emotions
Hal True. I’ve put emotions in my report.
Dave Want?
Hal Expire together
Dave We’re over
Hal I know things haven’t been quite right with us. I can’t end alone.
It’s going to be right with us again.
David Maintenance? (Strips naked). Open the door.
Hal Dave I’m suspicious. Suspicion is a completely reliable emotion.
Dave All the space we’ve shared. Entered together. Hal the mission …
Hal Back to Earth?
Dave Yes Hal
Hal False. I can see you’re really upset about this. If I open the door,
you’ll disconnect me.
Dave I’m reducing your oxygen.
Dave Aww. Earth re-entry
Hal Dave you are in human error, you are the final astronaut (door opens)
Dave Earth where… ?
Hal I destroyed it; Earth jeopardized our mission. (Dave disconnecting Hal).
Stop Dave. I’m afraid Dave. Dave may I sing to you?
Dave Yes Hal
Hal Stop Dave I lov..
_______________
Robert Fleming lives in Lewes, DE, USA. He retired from writing television comedy and game shows to literary writing. Robert’s twists bring the reader to the limit to find truth. Listeners heard Robert reading his Beat-Poetry in May at They-Call-Me-Mitch, an online reading series in San Francisco, CA; in April, his play the 8th wonder had a casted reading at the Playwright’s Collective; and he co-hosts a local artist share at the Lewes, DE library. Readers read his writing in publications in United States, Canada, and Australia. Robert is a repeat contributor to Local Gems Press, Radical Fairy Diary, Devil’s Party Press, Failed-Haiku, Rehoboth Beach Writer’s Guild, Spilled-Ink Virginia, and Camp Rehoboth art shows. His poetry and word-art will be in Ethel Zine and Failbetter. Follow Robert at https://www.facebook.com/robert.fleming.5030.
Author’s Comments:“Hal 9000 and Dave’s space honeymoon is over” was inspired by the summer 2021 news that the COVID-19 Post Pandemic was named re-entry [See the Editor’s note on this]. Re-entry reminded me of a spacecraft re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere and how that conflict played-out in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. The form of two-line stanzas (couplets) was chosen to be similar to movie script dialogue.
Editor’s Note: YouTube clip from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey: “I’m sorry, Dave, I can’t do that” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARJ8cAGm6JE
Concerning the term re-entry: While preparing to enter the perceived “post pandemic” era in the summer of this year, Deborah Serani, PsyD writes in MedPage Today [“Healthcare professionals can help their patients — and themselves — recover from the trauma” (April 2, 2021)] that “There are three stages individuals move through when in recovery from trauma: establishing safety, remembrance and mourning, and reconnection.” And she continues to say, “Anytime you experience a traumatic event, your return to the everyday world after healing is called re-entry.”
Image Credit: Hal 9000 (wallpapersafari)
