Чужой
II
Adimglowrevealedseveralghostlysilhouettes.
WithKane’slightservingasaguide,DallasandLambertlocatedtheirownlightbars.Thethreebeamscombinedtoprovideenoughilluminationtoworkby.
’Whathappened?Whyhasn’tthesecondarytakenover?Andwhatcausedtheoutage?’
Ripleythumbedtheintercom.’Engineroom,whathappened?What’sourstatus?’
’Lousy.’Parkersoundedbusy,mad,andworriedallatonce.Adistantbuzzing,likethefranticwingsofsomecolossalinsect,formedabackdroptohiswords.Thosewordsroseandfaded,asthoughthespeakerwerehavingtroublestayinginrangeoftheomni-directionalintercompickup.
’Goddamndustintheengines,that’swhathappened.Caughtitcomingdown.Guesswedidn’tcloseitoffandcleanitoutintime.Gotanelectricalfirebackhere.’
’It’sbig,’wasBrett’ssingleadditiontotheconversation.Hesoundedweakwithdistance.
Therewasapause,duringwhichtheycouldmakeoutonlythewhooshofchemicalextinguishersoverthespeaker.’Theintakesgotclogged,’Brettfinallywasabletotelltheanxiousknotoflisteners.’Weoverheatedbad,burntoutawholecell,Ithink.Christ,it’sreallybreakingloosedownhere..’
DallasglancedoveratRipley.’Thosetwosoundbusyenough.Somebodygivemethecriticalanswer.Somethingwentbang.Ihopetohellitwasonlybackintheirdepartment,butitcouldbeworse.Hasthehullbeenbreached?’Hetookadeepbreath.
