Чужой
III
’Thecaptainpickedhispair,andthat’sthat.Nobodyelsecangooutuntiltheycomebackandreport.Threeout,fouron,That’stherules.’Shepausedatasuddenthought,eyedhimknowingly.
’That’snotwhat’sbotheringyou,isit?You’reworriedaboutwhattheymightfind.Orhaveweallmisjudgedyouandyou’rereallyahigh-mindedseekerafterknowledge,atruedevoteeofpushingbackthefrontiersoftheknownuniverse?’
’Hell,no.’Parkerdidn’tseemtheleastoffendedbyRipley’scasualsarcasm.’I’matruedevoteeofpushingbackthefrontiersofmybankaccount.So..whataboutsharesincasetheyfindanythingvaluable?’
Ripleylookedbored.’Don’tworry.You’llbothgetwhat’scomingtoyou.’Shestartedtohuntthroughthepartssatchelforacertainsolid-statemoduletofillthelastremainingdamagedsectionintheopensquareofwall.
’I’mnotdoinganymorework,’Brettsuddenlyannounced,’unlesswe’reguaranteedfullshares.’
Ripleyfoundthenecessarypart,movedtoplaceitwithinthewall.’You’reeachguaranteedbycontractthatyou’llreceiveashareinanythingwefind.Bothofyouknowthat.Nowknockitoffandgetbacktowork.’Sheturnedaway,begantochecktomakecertainthenewlyinstalledmoduleswereoperatingproperly.
Parkerstaredhardather,openedhismouthtosaysomething,thoughtbetterofit.Shewastheship’swarrantofficer.Antagonizingherwoulddothemnogoodatall.He’dmadehispointandbeenrebuffed.
