Чужой

           Hedidthesamewithasecond,restingnearby.Thenheheftedthetwoheavycontainersandstartedbackupthecompanionway.

           ItwasaslonelyonBdeckasithadbeenbelow.Thesoonerherejoinedtheothers,thebetterhe’dfeel.Infact,hewishednowhe’dletAshaccompanyhim.He’dbeenanidiottorunoffforthecylindersbyhimself.Everyonewho’dbeentakenbythealienhadbeenalone.Hetriedtojogalittlefaster,despitetheawkwardweightofthebottles.

           Heturnedabendinthecorridor,stopped,nearlydroppingoneofthecontainers.Aheadlaythemainairlock.Beyondit,butnotfarbeyond,somethinghadmoved.Orhadit?Itwastimeforimaginingthingsandheblinked,tryingtoclearmindandeyes.

           He’dalmoststartedaheadagainwhentheshadowmovementwasrepeated.Therewasavaguesuggestionofsomethingtallandheavy.Lookingaround,helocatedoneoftheubiquitouswall’coms.RipleyandLambertshouldstillbeonthebridge.Hethumbedtheswitchbeneaththegrid.

           SomethingindecipherabledriftedoutfromthespeakersetinRipley’sconsole.Atfirstshethoughtitwasonlylocalizedstatic,thendecidedsherecognizedawordortwo.

           ’Ripleyhere.’

           ’Keepitdown!’theengineerwhisperedurgentlyintothepickup.Aheadofhim,themovementinthecorridorhadsuddenlyceased.Ifthecreaturehadheardhim..

           ’Ican’thearyou’RipleyexchangedapuzzledlookwithLambert,wholookedblank.Butwhenshespokeintoherpickupagain,shekepthervoicedownasrequested.’Repeat..whytheneedforquiet?’

           ’Thealien.’