Чужой
VIII
’We’restillblindonBandCdecks.Scannersblewandneedtobecompletelyreplacedthere.’
’Idon’tgiveadamnaboutseeingBandCdecks.Iknowwhattheylooklike.Anythingelse?’
’Reservepowersystemsblewjustafterwetoucheddown.Rememberthetroublewiththesecondaries?’
’Butthemaindriversarefixed?’Shenodded.’Thenthatstuffaboutthereservesiscrap.Wecantakeoffwithoutthem,getbackintohypersleep,anddosomerealtravellinginsteadofhangingaroundhere.’
’Isthatagoodidea?Abouttakingoffwithouthavingthesecondariesfixed,Imean.’
’Maybenot.ButIwantoutofhere,andIwantoutnow.We’veinvestigatedthatsignalallwe’regoingtoandthere’snobodyheretorescueexceptKane.LetsomeproperlyequippedCompanyexpeditionsetdownandgodiggingaroundthatderelict.That’snotwhatwe’repaidfor.We’vecompliedwiththedirectives.NowI’vehadenough.Let’sgetthisturkeyofftheground.’
Theysettledintotheirrolesonthebridge.Kaneandthedeadalienwereforgotten.Everythingwasforgotten,excepttake-offprocedure.Theywereaunitnow.Personalanimositiesandopinionsweresubmergedinthedesiretogetthetugoffthegroundandbackintoclean,openspace.
’Primarydriveactivated,’Ashreported,upfromtheinfirmaryandbackathisregularstation.
’Check.’ThisfromLambert.
’Secondariesstillnotfunctioning,sir.’Ripleyfrownedatthecrimsonreadoutonheroverheadconsole.
’Yeah,Iknow.Navigator,areweset?’
Lambertstudiedherboard.
