Чужой
XI
Don’tyousee?’Hewastryingtobeunderstanding,likeDallashadbeen.Everyoneknewhowclosethetwoengineershadbeen.
’Can’tyouenvisionwhatwouldhappen?Let’ssayacoupleofussucceededinconfrontingthecreatureinanopenareawherewecangetaclearshotatit,whichisbynomeansacertainty.Welaserit,oh,halfadozentimesbeforeittearsusalltopieces.Allsixwoundshealfastenoughtopreservethealien’slife,butnotbeforeit’sbledenoughacidtoeatnumerousholesintheship.Maybesomeofthestuffburnsthroughthecircuitrymonitoringourairsupply,orcutsthepowertotheship’slights.
’Idon’tconsiderthatanunreasonablescenario,givenwhatweknowaboutthecreature.?Andwhat’stheresult?We’velosttwoormorepeopleandshipwisewe’reworseoffthanwewerebeforeweconfrontedit.’
Parkerdidn’treply,lookedsullen.Finallyhemumbled,’Thenwhatthehellarewegoingtodo?’
’Theonlyplanthatstandsachanceofworkingistheonewehadbefore,’Dallastoldhim.Hetappedtheschematic.’Findwhichshaftit’sin,thendriveitfromthereintoanairlockandblastitintospace.’
’Driveit?’Parkerlaughedhollowly.’I’mtellingyoutheson-of-a-bitchishuge.’Hespatcontemptuouslyathisbentshocktube.’Wearen’tdrivingthatthinganywherewiththose.’
’Foroncehehasapoint,’saidLambert.’Wehavetogetittoalock.Howdowedriveit?’
Ripley’sgazetravelledaroundthelittleclusterofhumanity.
