Чужой
II
Herfingerswerepoisedoveraparticularswitch.’Okay,let’shearit.Watchthevolume.’
Thenavigatorflippedtheswitch.Staticandhissingsoundsfilledthebridge.Theseclearedsuddenly,werereplacedbyasoundthatsentshiversupKane’sbackandunholycrawlingthingsdownRipley’s.Itlastedfortwelveseconds,thenwasreplacedbythestatic.
’GoodGod.’Kane’sexpressionwasdrawn.
Lambertswitchedoffthespeakers.Itwashumanonthebridgeagain.
’Whatthehellisit?’Ripleylookedasthoughshe’djustseensomethingdeadonherlunchplate.’Itdoesn’tsoundlikeanydistresssignalIeverheard.’
’That’swhatMothercallsit,’Dallastoldthem.’Callingit’alien’turnsouttohavebeensomethingofanunderstatement.’
’Maybeit’savoice.’Lambertpaused,consideredherjust-utteredwords,foundtheimplicationstheyraisedunpleasant,andtriedtopretendshehadn’tsaidthem.
’We’llknowsoon.Haveyouhomedinonit?’
’I’vefoundthesectionofplanet.’Lambertturnedgratefullytoherconsole,relievedtobeabletodealwithmathematicsinsteadofdisquietingthoughts.
’We’recloseenough.’
’Motherwouldn’thavepulledusoutofhypersleepunlesswewere,’Ripleymurmured.
’It’scomingfromascensionsixminutes,twentyseconds;declinationminusthirty-ninedegrees,twoseconds.’
’Showmethewholethingonascreen.’
Thenavigatorhitasuccessionofbuttons.Oneofthebridgeviewscreensflickered,giftedthemwithabrightdot.
’Highalbedo.
