Чужой
XIII
Ripley’stonewasgentleandreassuring,butLambertcoulddetecttheexasperationbeneath.
ParkerstaggeredoutofFoodLocker2,hiddenbehindadoublearmloadoffood.Lambertcontinuedtosortherboxes,occasionallytradingoneforanother.Thethoughtofeatingraw,unpreprocessedartificialfoodwasdauntingatbest.Therewasnoautochefonthetinyshuttle.Therawbulkwouldkeepthemalive,butthatwasall.Shewantedthetastiestselectionpossible.
Shedidn’tnoticethefaintredlightonthetrackerlyingnearby.
’Gotcha!’AnindignantJonesresisted,butRipleyhadhimfirmlybythenapeoftheneck.Nordidbracinghisfeetkeephimfrombeingshovedunceremoniouslyintohispressurizedtravellingcase.
Ripleyswitchediton.’There.Breatheyourownrecycledsmellforawhile.’
Thetwoflamethrowerswerelyingoutsidethefoodlocker.Parkerkneltcarefullyandtriedtopickuphis.Heoverbalancedandafairportionoftheneatlyalignedboxestumbledfromhisarms.
’Goddamn.’
Lambertstoppedherrearranging,triedtoseearoundthelockerdoors.
’What’sthematter?’
’Nothing.Iwastryingtocarrytoomuchatonce,that’sall.Justhurryitup.’
’I’mcoming.Keepyourheadon.’
Theredlightonthetrackersuddenlyturnedbrightcrimson,thebeeperchirpingsimultaneously.Parkerdroppedhispackages,staredatit,andpickeduphisflamethrower.HecalledbackintoLambert.
’Let’sgetoutofhere.’
She’dheardthenoisetoo.’Rightnow.’
Somethingmadeadifferentsoundbehindher.
