Чужой
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Amalfunctioningautochefdidnotqualifyasacandidateforthelatter.
Ohwell.Afterseveralmonthsofdoingnothingbutsleeping,hehadnorighttocomplainifafewhours’honestsweatwasnowrequiredofhim..
ThecentralcomputerroomwaslittledifferentfromtheotherawakeroomsaboardtheNostromo.Adisarmingkaleidoscopeoflightsandscreens,readoutsandgauges,itconveyedtheimpressionofawildpartyinhabitedbyadozendrunkenChristmastrees.
Settlinghimselfintoathicklypaddedcontourseat,Dallasconsideredhowtoproceed.AshtooktheseatoppositetheMindBank,manipulatedcontrolswithmorespeedandeasethanamanjustoutofhypersleepoughttohave.Thescienceofficer’sabilitytohandlemachineswasunmatched.
ItwasaspecialrapportDallasoftenwishedhepossessed.Stillgroggyfromtheafter-effectsofhypersleep,hepunchedoutaprimaryrequest.Distortionpatternschasedeachotheracrossthescreen,settleddowntoformrecognizablewords.Dallascheckedhiswording,founditstandard.
ALERTOVERMONITORINGFUNCTIONFORMATRIXDISPLAYANDINQUIRY.
Theshipfounditacceptablealso,andMother’sreplywasimmediate.OVERMONITORADDRESSMATRIX.Columnsofinformationalcategorizationslinedupforinspectionbeneaththisterselegend.
Dallasexaminedthelonglistoffineprint,locatedthesectionhewanted,andtypedin,COMMANDPRIORITYALERT.
OVERMONITORFUNCTIONREADYFORINQUIRY,Motherresponded.Computermindswerenotprogrammedforverbosity.Motherwasnoexceptiontotherule.
WhichwasfinewithDallas.
