Чужой

           SoIsayfreezehimuntilwegetbackhomeandadocspecializinginaliendiseasescanrunoverhim.’

           ’Right,’addedBrett.

           Ripleyshookherhead,lookedputupon.’Wheneverhesaysanything,yousay"right."Youknowthat,Brett?’

           Hegrinned.’Right.’

           Sheturnedtofacetheengineer.’Whatdoyouthinkaboutthat,Parker?Yourstaffjustfollowsyouaroundandsays"right".Likeregularparrots.’

           Parkerturnedtohiscolleague.’Yeah.Shapeup.Whatareyou,somekindofparrot?’

           ’Right.’

           ’Oh,knockitoff.’Dallaswassorryfortheunthinkingcomment.Alittlelevitywoulddothemsomegood,andhehadtoupandsteponit.Whydidhehavetobelikethat?Therelationshipsamongthemembersofthetug’screwweremoreinformalonesamongequalsthanaboss-and-employeetypeofchainofcommand.So,whydidheallofasuddenfeelcompelledtoplaycaptain?

           Perhapsbecausetheywereinacrisissituationofsortsandsomeonehadtoofficiallybe’incharge.’Hewasstuckwiththeresponsibility.Lousyjob.Rightnowhe’dmuchratherhaveRipley’sorParker’s.EspeciallyParkers.Thetwoengineerscouldsquatbackintheirprivatecubicleandblithelyignoreeverythingthatdidn’tdirectlyaffectthem.Solongastheykepttheenginesandship’ssystemsfunctioning,theywereanswerabletonoonesaveeachother.

           ItoccurredtoDallasthathedidn’tparticularlylikemakingdecisions.Maybethatwaswhyhewascommandinganoldtuginsteadofaliner.Morerevealingly,maybethatwaswhyhenevercomplainedaboutit.