Чужой
VIII
’Okay.Ripley,Kane’snothere,soit’sallyours.Takeusup.’
Shenudgedadoubleleverontheexec’sconsole.Theroaringoutsidewasdeafeningnow,thoughtherewasnothingtohearandbesuitablyimpressedbytheclevernessofmankind.Inclinedslightlyupward,theNostromobegantomoveforward.
’RollinguptheG’s,’shesaid,hittingseveraladditionalbuttons.’Andherewego.’
Movingsharplyskywardandacceleratingsteadily,thetugsuddenlyleapedahead.Powerfulwindsclutchedatthetough,alloyedskin,neitherslowedthestarshipnoraltereditscourse.
Lambert’sattentionwasfixedononeparticulargauge.’Onekilometreandascending.Oncourse.Orbitalinsertioninfivepointthreetwominutes.’If,sheaddedsilentlytoherself,weholdtogetherthatlong.
’Soundinggood,’Dallasmurmured,watchingtwolinesoverlappleasinglyonhisconsole.’Engageartificialgravity.’
Lambertthrewaswitch.Theshipseemedtostumble.Dallas’sstomachprotestedasthefadinggravityofthelittleworldrecedingbehindthemwasreplacedbyafull,unforgivingpull.
’Engaged,’Lambertreported,asherowninsidesfinishedrealigningthemselves.
Ripley’sgazedancedfromonereadouttoanother.Aslightdiscrepancyappearedandshehurriedtocorrectforit.’Unequalthrustreading.I’malteringthevectornow.’Shenudgedaswitch,watchedwithsatisfactionasaliquidneedlecrawledbacktowhereitbelonged.’Compensationeffected.Holdingsteadynow.We’reset.’
