2001: A Space Odyssey1968

[HAL watches them speak, reading their lips]

Frank:
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?

Dave:
Well, we'd be in very serious trouble.

Frank:
We would, wouldn't we?

Dave:
Hmm, hmm.

Frank:
What the hell can we do?

Dave:
Well, we wouldn't have too many alternatives.

Frank:
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.

Dave:
I'm afraid I agree with you.

Frank:
There'd be nothing else to do.

Dave:
It would be a bit tricky.

Frank:
Yeah.

Dave:
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.

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

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

Frank:
No 9000 computer has ever fouled up before.

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