Чужой
VI
Atthelastmoment,hethoughtbetteroftheidea,continuedtoletitdanglelooselyfromonehand.
Ripleynoticedthehesitation,smirkedathim.’Ifit’snolongerdangerous,whynotputitbackinyourshirt?’
’There’snoneedtoactrecklessly.PlentyoftimeafterI’veruntestsandmadecertainthesubstanceistrulynolongeractive.Justbecauseitcan’teatthroughdeckalloyanymoredoesn’tmeanitcouldn’tgiveyouahelluvaburn.’
’Whatdoyouthinkthestuffis?’Dallas’sgazetravelledfromthetinycraterinthedecktotheholeintheceilingoverhead.’I’veneverseenanythingthatcouldcutthroughhullalloylikethat.Notwiththatkindofspeed.’
’I’veneverseenanythinglikeitmyself,’thescienceofficerconfessed.’Certainhighlyrefinedvarietiesofmolecularacidaretremendouslypowerful,buttheygenerallywillactonlyoncertainspecificmaterials.Theyhaverestrictedgeneralapplications.
’Ontheotherhand,thisstuffappearstobeauniversalcorrosive.We’vealreadywatcheditdemonstrateitsabilitytoeatthroughseveralverydifferentsubstanceswithequalfacility.Orindifference,ifyouprefer.Hullalloy,surgicalgloves,themedicalpallet,infirmarybedding;itwentthroughallofthemwithequalease.’
’Andthatdamnedthingusesitforblood.Onetoughson-of-a-bitchlittlemonster.’Brettspokeofthehand-shapedalienwithrespect,despitehisfeelingstowardit.
’Wedon’tknowforafactthatitusesitforblood.’
