Чужой
XIII
Thereisadistinctpossibilitythealienwillsuccessfullyinfecttheboardingpartyandanyothersitcomesincontactwithbeforetheyrealizethemagnitudeofthedangeritpresentsandcantakestepstocombatit.Bythenitmaybetoolate.
’Thousandsofyearsofefforthavenotenabledmantoeradicateotherparasites.Hehasneverbeforeencounteredonethisadvanced.Trytoimagineseveralbillionmosquitoesfunctioninginintelligentconsortwithoneanother.Wouldmankindhaveachance?
’Ofcourse,ifIampresentandfunctionalwhentheNostromoarrives,Icaninformtheboardingpartyofwhattheymayexpectandhowtoproceedsafelyagainstit.Bydestroyingme,youriskloosingaterribleplagueonmankind.’
Therewassilenceinthemess,butnotforlong.Parkerspokefirst.
’Mankind,inthepersonoftheCompany,doesn’tseemtogiveadamnaboutus.We’lltakeourchancesagainstthealien.Atleastweknowwhereitstands.’HeglancedoveratRipley.’Noplague’sgoingtobothermeifI’mnotaroundtoworryaboutit.Isaypulltheplug.’
’Iagree,’saidLambert.
Ripleymovedaroundthetable,startedtodisconnectthepowercord.
’Alastword,’Ashsaidquickly.’Alegacy,ifyouwill.’
Ripleyhesitated.’Well?’
’Maybeitistrulyintelligent.Maybeyoushouldtrytocommunicatewithit.’
’Didyou?’
’Pleaseletmygraveholdsomesecrets.’
Ripleypulledthewirefromthesocket.’Good-bye,Ash.’Sheturnedherattentionfromthesilentheadtohercompanions.
