Чужой

           Distracted,thealienlefttheporttoinspectthesourceofthestrangenoise.Itbent,liftedthesealedcatbox,causingJonestohowlmoreloudly.

           Ripleyknockedontheglass,tryingtodrawthecreature’sattentionawayfromthehelplessanimal.Itworked.Thealienwasbackattheglassinasecond.Shefroze,anditreturnedtoitsleisurelyinspectionofthecatbox.

           Ripleybeganafranticsearchoftheconfinedchamber.Therewaslittleinsideexceptthesinglepressuresuit.Workingrapidlydespiteherinabilitytokeepherhandsfromtrembling,sheslippedintoit.

           Outside,thealienwasshakingthecatboxexperimentally.Jonesyowledthroughtheboxdiaphragm.Ripleywashalfwayintothepressuresuitwhenthealienthrewtheboxdown.Itbouncedbutdidnotbreakopen.Pickingitupagain,thealienhammereditagainstawall.Joneswasbeyondsense,screamedsteadily.Thealienjammedtheboxintoacrevicebetweentwoexposedconduits,beganpoundingthecontainerintotheopeningwhileJonesfoughttoescape,hissingandspitting.

           Pullingonthehelmet,Ripleylatchedittight.Therewasnoonearoundtodouble-checkforher.Ifthesealswereimproperlysetshe’dfindoutsoonenough.Atouchactivatedtherespiratorandthesuitfilledwithbottledlife.

           Shestruggledtomakealastsearchofthelocker.Therewasnothinglikealaser,whichshecouldn’thaveusedinanycase.Butalongmetalrodrevealedasharptipwhenitsprotectiverubberendwasremoved.