Чужой
IX
’Firstwe’vegotsomethingelsetodo.’Helookedbackdownthecorridor,towherethebodyofKaneremainedjustvisiblethroughthemessdoorway.
Miscellaneoussuppliesyieldedjustenoughmaterialtomakeacrudeshroud,whichParkerlaser-sealedintheabsenceofthread.Itwasamateurishlyroughandtheinformalityofitastheywalkedawayfromthemainlockbotheredeveryone.Buttheyhadtheconsolationofknowingtheyweredoingasmuchastheycould.
TheycouldhavefrozenthebodyformoresubstantialburialbackonEarth,butthetransparentcanopyofthefreezercompartmentwouldleaveKane’sguttedbodyexposedforthemalltoseeimmediatelyonreawakening.Bettertodisposeofithere,quickandclean,whereitcouldbeforgottenasfastaspossible.
Backonthebridge,theyresumedtheirstations,depressionmakingtheairseemthickasVaseline.Dallascheckedreadouts,saidmorosely,’Innerhatchsealed.’
Ripleynoddedconfirmation.
’Lockstillpressurized?’Anothernod.Hehesitated,lookedfromonesomberfacetothenext.Nonereturnedhisgaze.’Anybodywanttosayanything?’
Naturally,therewasnothingtosay.Kanewasdead.He’dbeenalive,nowhewasnotalive.Noneofthecrewwasparticularlystrongwithwords.
OnlyLambertspokeup.’Getitoverwith.’Dallasthoughtthatwasn’tmuchofanepitaph,buthecouldn’tthinkofanythingelseexceptthattheywerewastingtime.HemadeasigntothewatchingRipley.
Shetouchedastud.Theoutercoveronthelockpopped.
