Чужой
II
’Thesecondary-loadsharingunitisoutandatleastthreecellitesontwelvemodulearegone.Withallthatimplies.’Heletthatsinkin,added,’Youwantthelittlethings?GivemeaboutanhourandI’llhaveyoualist.’
’Skipit.Holdonasecond.’HeturnedtoRipley.’Trythescreensagain.’Shedidso,withnoeffect.TheyremainedasblankasaCompanyaccountant’smind.
’We’lljusthavetodowithoutawhilelonger,’hetoldher.
’Yousurethat’severything?’shesaidintothepickup.RipleyfoundherselffeelingsympathyforParkerandBrettforthefirsttimesincethey’dbecomepartofthecrew.Orsinceshehad,asParkerprecededherinseniorityasamemberoftheNostromo’scomplement.
’Sofar.’Hecoughedoverthespeaker.’We’retryingtogetfullshippowerbackrightnow.Twelvemodulegoingoutscrewedupeverythingbackhere.Letyouknowbetteraboutpowerwhenwe’vegonethrougheverythingthefireate.’
’Whataboutrepairs?Canyoumanage?’Dallaswasrunningovertheengineer’sbriefreportsinhismind.Theyoughttobeabletopatchuptheinitialdamage,butthecelliteproblemwouldtaketime.Whatmightbewrongwithmoduletwelvehepreferrednottothinkabout.
’Couldn’tfixitalloutherenomatterwhat,’Parkerreplied.
’Ididn’tthinkyoucould.Don’texpectyouto.Whatcanyoudo?’
’Weneedtorerouteacoupleoftheseductsandrelinethedamagedintakes.We’llhavetoworkaroundthereallybaddamage.
