Чужой
VI
Hereacheddownagain,lethispalmrestonthecreature’sback.Itwasdryandcold.Theslowheavingmadehimslightlyillandhealmostpulledhishandawayagain.Whenthecreaturestillshowednoinclinationtoobject,hegotthebestgriphecouldontherubberytissueandpulledashardashecould.
Notsurprisingly,thishadnoeffect.Thethingneithermovednorrelinquisheditshold.
’Letmetry.’Ashstoodneararackofnonmedicaltools.Heselectedapairofthickpliers,movedtothetable.Carefullygettingagriponthecreature,heleanedback.
’Stillnothing.Tryharder,’Dallassuggestedhopefully.Ashadjustedthepliersforathickerhold,pulled,andleanedbackatthesametime.
Dallasraisedahand,noticingatrickleofbloodrunningdownKane’scheek.
’Holdit.You’retearingtheskin.’
Ashrelaxed.’Notme.Thecreature.’
Dallaslookedsick.’Thisisn’tgoingtowork.It’snotgoingtocomeoffwithoutpullinghiswholefaceawayatthesametime.’
’Iagree.Letthemachineworkonhim.Maybeitwillhavebetterluck.’
’It’dbetter.’
Ashtouchedseveralswitchesinsequence.Theautodochummedandtheopeningatthefarendoftheplatformlitup.Thentheplatformslidsilentlyintothewall.Aglassplatedescended,sealingKanetightlyinside.Lightsflashedonwithinthewall,Kane’sbodyclearlyvisiblebehindtheglass.Onanearbyconsole,apairofvideomonitorsflickeredtolife.Ashmovedtostudytheirreadouts.
