Чужой
VII
’Anythingnewbesidesthesilicatesandthedoubledermis?’
’Well,Istillhavenoideawhatitbreathes,orevenifitbreathesthewaywethinkofstandardrespiration.Itdoesseemtobealteringtheatmospherearoundit,perhapsabsorbingwhatevergasesitrequiresthroughnumeroussurfacepores.There’scertainlynothingresemblinganostril.AsalivingchemicalfactoryitsurpassesinefficiencyanythingI’veeverheardof.Someofitsinternalorgansdon’tseemtofunctionatall,whileothersaredoingthingsIcan’tbegintoguessat.
’It’spossiblethevisuallyquiescentorganshavedefensivefunctions.We’llfindoutifweeverhavetoprovokeitfurther.’Hecockedanexpectanteyeather.’Thatenoughforyou?’
’Plenty.’Kaneshouldn’thavebeenbroughtbackonboard,shemused.Theyshouldhavelefthimandthecreatureoutside.Ashwastheoneresponsibleforthembeinghere.
Shestudiedthescienceofficerunobtrusively,watchinghimworkhisinstruments,storepleasingresults,anddiscardthosehehadnousefor.Ashwasthelastmemberofthecrewshe’dhavesuspectedofbeingcapableofadramaticgesture,yethewastheonewho’dmadethesuddendecisiontolettheexplorersbackaboard,goingagainstallacceptedprocedure.
Shehadtocorrectherself.InadditiontoAsh,DallasandLamberthadalsogoneagainstprocedureindemandingadmittance.AndKane’slifehadbeenatstake.
