Чужой
VII
Hisconditionhasbeenstabilized.I’minclinedtogivecreditforthattothemachineanditsrapidtreatment,theearlyapplicationofantisepsisandintravenousfeeding.’
’You’recontradictingyourself,Ash.Aminuteagoyousaiditwasthecreaturewhowaskeepinghimalive,nottheautodoc.’
’Thecreaturedoesseemtobemakingacontribution,butit’sdoingsoinKane’satmosphereandenvironment.We’venowayofknowingwhatitmighthavedoneifleftalonewithhimoutside.Herewecankeepaclosewatchonhissystemandbereadytocompensateifthecreatureshowssignsofactinginimicallytowardhim.Wecouldn’tdothatifhewerestilloutside.’Hepausedlongenoughtothrowaswitch,checkareading.’Besides,itwasadirectorder.’
’Meaningyou’lllistentoDallasovermenomatterwhatthesituation?’
’Meaningthecaptain’sthecaptain,andthefactthathewasonemetreoutsidethecorridorinsteadofinsideisn’treasonenoughformetostartignoringhisdecisions.’
Shelookedaway,furiouswithhimandwithherself.’Bybreakingquarantineprocedureyouriskeverybody’slife,notjustKane’s.’
Ashmovedsmoothlytopunchoutarequestonthecomputerboard,staredsolemnlyattheinformationprovided.HespokewithoutfacingtheinsistentRipley.
’Youthinkitwasaneasydecisionformetomake?I’mawareoftherulesregardingquarantineandalienlifeforms,probablymoresothanyou.Ihadtobalancethemagainstaman’slife.
’MaybeIshouldhavelethimdieoutthere.
