Чужой
II
TheNostromocommencedtofollowasteadyspiralingpathsurfaceward,fightingcrosswindsandprotestinggustsofblackaireverymetreoftheway.
’Fifteenkilometresanddescending,’announcedRipleyevenly.’Twelve..ten..eight.’Dallastouchedacontrol.’Slowingrate.Five..three..two.Onekilometre.’Thesamecontrolwasfurtheraltered.’Slowing.Activatelandingengines.’
’Locked.’Kanewasworkingconfidentlyathisconsole.’Descentnowcomputermonitored.’Acrisp,loudhumfilledthebridgeasMothertookovercontroloftheirdrop,regulatingthelastmetresofdescentwithmoreprecisionthanthebesthumanpilotcouldhavemanaged.
’Descendingonlanders,’Kanetoldthem.
’Killengines.’
Dallasperformedafinalprelandingcheck,flippedseveralswitchestoOFF.’Enginesoff.Lifterquadsfunctioningproperly.’Asteadythrobbingfilledthebridge.
’Ninehundredmetresanddropping.’Ripleywatchedherconsole.’Eighthundred.SevenhundredSix.’Shecontinuedtocountofftherateofdescentinhundredsofmetres.Beforelongshewasrecitingitintens.
Atfivemetresthetughesitated,hoveringonitslandersabovethestorm-wracked,night-shroudedsurface.
’Strutsdown.’KanewasalreadymovingtoexecutetherequiredactionasDallaswasgivingtheorder.Afaintwhinefilledthebridge.Severalthickmetallegsunfoldedbeetle-likefromtheship’sbelly,driftedtantalizinglyclosetothestillunseenrockbelowthem.
’Fourmetres..ufff!’Ripleystopped.
