Чужой

           Parkerwhisperedit,notdaringtoraisehisvoice.’It’soutsidethestarboardlock.Yes,rightnow!’Openthedoorslowly.WhenIgivetheword,closeitfastandblowtheouterhatch.’

           ’Areyousure..?’

           Heinterruptedherquickly.’Itellyou,we’vegotit!JustdoasItellyou.’Heforcedhimselftocalmdown.’Nowopenit.Slowly.’

           Ripleyhesitated,startedtosaysomething,thensawLambertnoddingvigorously.IfParkerwaswrong,theyhadnothingtolosebutaminusculeamountofair.Ifheknewwhathewasdoing,ontheotherhand..Shethrewaswitch.

           Below,Parkertriedtobecomepartofthecorridorwallasalowwhinesounded.Theinnerairlockdoormovedaside.Thecreaturecameoutoftheshadowsandmovedtowardit.Severallightswereflashinginsidethelock.Onewasanespeciallybrightemeraldgreen.Thealienregardeditwithinterest,movedtostandonthethresholdofthelock.

           Comeon,damnyou,theengineerthoughtfrantically.Lookattheprettygreenlight!That’sright.Wouldn’tyouliketohavetheprettygreenlightalltoyourself?Sureyouwould.Juststepinsideandtakethebeautifulgreenness.Justacoupleofstepsinsideanditcanbeyoursforever.Justacoupleofsteps,God,justacoupleofsteps.

           Fascinatedbythesteadilypulsingindicator,thealiensteppedintothelock.Itwascompletelyinside.Notbymuch,butwhocouldtellwhenitmightsuddenlygrowbored,orsuspicious?

           ’Now,’hehuskedintothepickup,’now.’

           Ripleypreparedtothrowtheemergencyclose.