Чужой
X
ParkerandBrett,carefullyholdingthenetreadybetweenthem,precededherdownthelittle-usedcompanionway.ClevelwaspoorlyilluminatedevenbytheNostromo’ssparsestandards.Theypausedatthebaseofthecompanionwaytolettheireyesadjusttotheneardarkness.
Ripleytouchedawallaccidentally,pulledherhandawayindisgust.Itwascoatedwithathick,viscousslime.Oldlubricants,shemused.Alinerwould’vebeenshutdownifaninspectorhaddiscoveredsuchconditionsonit.ButnobodyfooledwithsuchleaksonashipliketheNostromo.Thelubricantscouldn’tbotheranyoneimportant.Whatwasalittlerarelyencounteredmesstoatugcrew?
Whenthey’dfinishedthisrunshepromisedherselfshe’drequestandholdoutforatransfertoalinerorelsegetoutoftheservice.Sheknewshe’dmadethesamepromisetwiceadozentimesbefore.Thistimeshe’dsticktoit.
Shepointedthetrackerdownthecorridor.Nothing.Whensheturnedittofaceupthecorridor,theredlightwinkedbackon.Theilluminatedneedleregisteredaclearreading.
’Okay,let’sgo.’Shestartedoff,havingconfidenceinthelittleneedlebecausesheknewAshdidsolidwork,becausethedevicehadfunctionedwellthusfar,andbecauseshehadnochoice.
’We’llhitasplitprettysoon,’Brettcautionedher.
Severalminutespassed.Thecorridorbecametwo.Sheusedthetracker,starteddowntheright-handpassage.Theredlightbegantofade.Sheturned,headeddowntheothercorridor.’Backthisway.’
