Really?

Dave Daymont sent this to me. Yes, it's real. You can by the 2001 Monolith for $13.00. They say there's a sucker born every minute and this is the proof.

Are we missing something here? Should we stock this kind of thing in the Space Center's gift counter? We could make these dirt cheap with all the broken black plastic laying about we use to cover our computer screens in the simulators.
Let's see, we need clever packaging a great series of missions involving the Monolith told in the simulators.

Yes, its all coming clear to me now.

THE MONOLITH and THE SHADOW (that added bit means nothing in the story but it will increase the sales for sure).

Once upon a future time, in a Galaxy closer than you think there was a Starship called Voyager on route to a planet that looked remarkably like Jupiter.

"Captain, on final approach," Ensign Parker sighed, obviously bored from spending several hours on duty with very little sleep from an all night party in the Lounge.

"Wake up!" The captain flicked him on the back of the head. "Sit up straight."
Parker sat up quickly, not wanting to spend another break period in the ship's canteen scrubbing the food processors. "Scans?"

"Captain, detecting something in orbit of the gas giant," Commander Anderson said. He peered deep into his desk top visor, flipped a few switches and continued. "Its very dark and quite large. A monolith to be precise made of solid neutronium - impossible to scan the interior."

"Strange." The Captain stood over the Commander looking at the data as it streamed in from the sensor sweeps. "What's that red line mean?"

"Oh crap. A hugh energy discharge heading straight for us!"

"Red Alert!" Klaxons rang throughout the ship. Parker was wide awake and clutched the sides of his desk. It wasn't going to be a good day........

Mr. W.