Чужой
IX
’AssumingIbuythatbusinessaboutthealienbeingabletogenerateadefensivefieldthatwouldpreventscanning..andI’mnotsayingIdo..Motherwouldfindotherindicationsofwhatwashappening.Beforehewaskilled,Kanecomplainedofbeingravenous.Heproveditatthemesstable.Isn’tthereasonforhisfantasticappetiteobvious?’
’Isit?’
’ThenewalienwasdrawingonKane’ssupplyofprotein,nutrients,andbodyfattobuilditsownbody.Itdidn’tgrowtothatsizebymetabolizingair.’
’Iagree.Thatisobvious.’
’Thatkindofmetabolicactivitywouldgenerateproportionatereadingsontheautodoc’sgauges,fromsimplereductionofKane’sbodyweighttootherthings.’
’Asforapossiblereductionofweight,’Ashrepliedcalmly,’nosuchreadingwouldappear.Kane’sweightwassimplytransferredintothealien.TheautodocscannerwouldregisteritallasKane’s.What"otherthings"areyoureferringto?’
Dallastriedtokeephisfrustrationfromshowing,succeededonlypartly.’Idon’tknow,Ican’tgiveyouspecifics.I’monlyapilot.Medicalanalysisisn’tmydepartment.’
’No,’saidAshsignificantly,’it’smine.’
’I’mnotatotalidiot,either,’Dallassnappedback.’MaybeIdon’tknowtherightwordstosaywhatImean,butI’mnotblind.Icanseewhat’sgoingon.’
Ashcrossedhisarms,kickedawayfromtheconsole,andstaredhardatDallas.’Whatexactlyareyoutryingtosay?’
Dallasplungedahead.’Youwantthealientostayalive.
