Чужой

           Thelightswerestillscarcerinthissectionoftheship.Deepshadowspressedtightlyaroundthem,suffocatingdespitethefactthatnoonetrainedtoshipindeepspaceissubjecttoclaustrophobia.Theirstepsclangedonthemetaldecking,weremuffledonlywhentheywadedthroughslickpoolsofaccumulatedfluid.

           ’Dallasoughttodemandaninspection,’Parkermuttereddisgustedly.’They’dcondemnfortypercentoftheshipandthentheCompanywouldhavetopaytocleanitup.’

           Ripleyshookherhead,threwtheengineeraskepticallook.’Wanttobet?BecheaperandeasierfortheCompanytobuyofftheinspector.’

           Parkerfoughttohidehisdisappointment.Anotherofhisseeminglybrilliantideasshotdown.Theworstpartofitwas,Ripley’slogicwasusuallyunassailable.Hisresentmentandadmirationforhergrewinproportiontooneanother.

           ’Speakingoffixingandcleaningup,’shecontinued,’what’swrongwiththelights?IsaidIwasn’tfamiliarwiththispartoftheship,butyoucanhardlyseeyourownnosehere.Ithoughtyouguysfixedtwelvemodule.Weshouldhavebetterilluminationthanthis,evendownhere.’

           ’Wedidfixit,’Brettprotested.

           Parkermovedtosquintatanearbypanel.’Deliverysystemmustbeactingcautious.Someofthecircuitshaven’tbeenreceivingtheirusualsteadycurrent,youknow.Itwastoughenoughtorestorepowerwithoutblowingeveryconductorontheship.Whenthingsgettricky,affectedsystemsrestricttheiracceptanceofpowertopreventoverloads.Thisone’soverdoingit,though.