Summary
Analysis
The Star Gate opens and closes, “twist[ing]” upon itself faster than time can be measured. Japetus is once again alone. Discovery sends incomprehensible and unbelievable messages back to Earth.
Assuming a more omniscient perspective, the narrator relates the monolith’s swallowing of Bowman. This detached viewpoint, removed from any individual human experience, adds a sense of gravitas to the scene, suggesting that Bowman’s entrance into the Star Gate transcends the significance normally attributed to human events.