Чужой
IV
’Dallas!’Frantically,hejabbedbuttonsontheconsole,threwswitches,demandedbetterresolutionfromthealreadyoverstrainedpickups.’Dallas,doyoureadme?I’velostyou.Repeat,I’velostyou..’
Onlytheconstantthermonuclearhissofthelocalsunsoundedplaintivelyoverthemultitudeofspeakers..
Upnexttothehull,thecolossalscaleofthealienvesselwasmoreevidentthanever.Itcurvedabovethem,risingintothedust-heavyairandlookingmoresolidthanthebrokenrockitrestedupon.
’Stillnosignoflife,’Dallasmurmuredhalftohimselfashesurveyedthehull.’Nolights,nomovement.’Hegesturedtowardtheimaginedbowoftheship.’Andnowayin.Let’stryupthatway.’
Astheystrodecarefullyovershatteredbouldersandloose,shalyrock,Dallaswasawarehowsmallthealienshipmadehimfeel.Notsmallphysically,thoughthebulging,overbearingarcofthehulldwarfedthethreehumans,butinsignificantlytinyonthecosmicscale.Humanitystillknewverylittleoftheuniverse,hadexploredafractionofonecorner.
Itwasexcitingandintellectuallygratifyingtospeculateonwhatmightliewaitingintheblackgulfswhenonewasbehindthebusinessendofatelescope,quiteanothertodosoisolatedonanunpleasantlittlespeckofaworldsuchasthis,confrontedbyashipofnonhumanmanufacturethatuncomfortablyresembledagrowthinsteadofafamiliardeviceformanipulatingandovercomingtheneatlawsofphysics.
That,headmittedtohimself,waswhattroubledhimmostaboutthederelict.
