Чужой
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Theinstrumentwassilent,exceptwhenthescienceofficerswungitabittoofartoleftorrightanditdetectedLambertorDallas.ThenitbeepedquerulouslyuntilAshtouchedacontrolandsilencedit.
Theypausedbyadown-spiralingcompanionway.Lambertleanedover,calledout.’Anythingdownthere?We’reascleanasyourmother’sreputationuphere.’
BrettandParkerresettheirgripsonthenetwhileRipleypausedaheadofthem,tookhergazefromthetracker,andshoutedupward.’Nothinghereeither.’
Above,LambertandDallasmovedon,Ashfollowing.Theirattentionwascompletelyontheapproachingturninthecorridor.Theydidn’tlikethosebends.Theyprovidedplacesofconcealment.TurningoneanddiscoveringonlyemptycorridorstretchingbleaklybeyondwastoLambertlikefindingtheHolyGrail.
ThetrackerwasgrowingheavyinRipley’shandswhenatinylightsuddenlywinkedredbelowthemainscreen.Shesawthegaugeneedlequiver.Shewascertainitwasintheneedle,notherhands.Thentheneedlegaveadefinitetwitch,movedjustahairawayfromthezeroendoftheindicatorscale.
Shemadesurethetrackerwasn’tpickingupeitherParkerorBrettbeforesayinganything.’Holdit.I’vegotsomething.’Shemovedafewpacesahead.
Theneedlejumpedclearacrossthescaleandtheredlightcameonandstayedon.Shestoodwatchingit,butitshowednosignofmovementsaveforslightchangesinitschosenlocation.Theredlightremainedstrong.
