Чужой

           ’Mightyfunnytimeforthatsortofaccident,wouldn’tyousay?’Ripleywassilentforabit,thenaskedsoftly,’YoustillthinkI’mwrong,don’tyou?’

           ’Idon’tknow.’Lambertlookedmoretiredthanargumentative.’Idon’tknowanythinganymore.Yeah,IguessIhavetosayIthinkyou’rewrong.Wrongorcrazy.WhywouldAsh,oranyone,wanttoprotectthealien?It’llkillhimasdeadasitdidDallasandBrett.Iftheyaredead.’

           ’Thanks.AlwaysliketoknowwhoIcandependon.’Ripleyturnedawayfromthenavigator,strodepurposefullydownthecorridortowardthecompanionway.

           Lambertwatchedhergo,shrugged,andstartedgatheringupthecylinders.Shehandledthemethanewithasmuchcareastheoxygen.Itwasequallyvitaltotheirsurvival..

           ’Ash,youinthere?Parker?’Whennoresponsewasforthcoming,Ripleycautiouslyenteredthecentralcomputerannex.Foranindeterminatetime,shehadthemindoftheNostromocompletelytoherself.

           Takingaseatinfrontofthemainconsole,sheactivatedtheboard,rammedathumbinsistentlyagainsttheidentificationplate.Datascreensflickeredtolife.

           Sofarithadbeeneasy.Nowshehadtowork.Shethoughtforamoment,tappedoutafive-digitcodeshethoughtwouldgeneratetheresponsesheneeded.Thescreensremainedblank,waitingfortheproperquery.Shetriedasecond,little-usedcombination,withequallackofsuccess.

           Shesworeinfrustration.Ifshewasreducedtotryingrandomcombinationsshe’dbeworkingintheannexuntildoomsday.