"Steve Perry - Aliens 01 - Earth Hive" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Steven)

go home.тАЭ
Lyle touched more controls. The probe placed the small clean atomic against a wall where it
adhered. тАЬOkay, three minutes toтАФaw, shit!тАЭ
The screen went blank.
тАЬWhat did you do?тАЭ
тАЬI didnтАЩt do anything! The cameraтАЩs gone out.тАЭ
тАЬSwitch to memory drive. We lose another probe and the Old ManтАЩll chew our asses to pulp.тАЭ
Lyle touched a button. The computer took over the probe. Since it had memorized every
centimeter of the flight in, it could retrace the flight and bring the probe back.
тАЬItтАЩs clear,тАЭ Lyle said a moment later. тАЬBurning more fuel than it should, though.тАЭ
тАЬMaybe it snagged on something coming out. DoesnтАЩt matter.тАЭ
тАЬProbe docking. Outer hatch open. Let me see if I can get an eye on the sucker and see why
itтАЩs wallowing so bad.тАЭ Lyle ran his practiced hands over the controls.
тАЬHoly fuck!тАЭ Barton said.
Lyle just stared. What the hell was that? Some kind of thing sat on the probe as it approached
the ship. It looked like a reptile, no, a giant bug. Wait, it had to be some kind of suit, no way it could
live in vac without a suitтАФ
тАЬClose the hatch!тАЭ Barton yelled.
тАЬToo late! ItтАЩs inside.тАЭ
тАЬFlood the bay with antirad! Pump the air out! Blow it back through the fucking door!тАЭ
A clang vibrated through the ship. Like a hammer smashing metal.
тАЬItтАЩs trying to open the inner hatch!тАЭ
Frantically Lyle tapped controls. тАЬAntirad spray on full! Evacuation pumps on!тАЭ
The banging continued.
тАЬOkay, okay, donтАЩt worry, it canтАЩt get in. The hatch is locked. Nobody can break through a
sealed boron-carbon hatch with his bare hands!тАЭ
Something crashed, ringing loudly. Then came the sound spacers fear more than anything: air
rushing out.
тАЬClose the outer hatch, goddammit!тАЭ
But the dropping air pressure tugged at Lyle. The cabin was filled with loose items being
sucked toward the rear of the cutter. Light pens, coffee cups, a hard-copy magazine fluttering madly.
He lunged at the controls, missed the emergency button, lunged again.
Barton, also half out of his chair, stabbed at the red button, but hit the computer override
instead. The ship went to manual drive.
The cabin pressure raced toward zero. A hatch-sized hole blew air into space real damned
fast. LyleтАЩs eyes bulged, began to bleed. One eardrum popped. He screamed, but found the control
for the external hatch.
тАЬI got it! I got it!тАЭ
The outer hatch cycled shut. Emergency air tanks kicked on. The faux gravity pulled the two
men back toward their seats. тАЬGoddammit! Goddammit!тАЭ Barton said.
тАЬItтАЩs okay, itтАЩs okay, itтАЩs closed!тАЭ
тАЬCoast Guard Control, this is the cutter Dutton!тАЭ Barton began. тАЬWe have a situation here!тАЭ
тАЬOh, man!тАЭ Lyle said.
Barton twisted.
The thing stood right fucking there!
It had teeth! It came toward them. It looked hungry.
Barton tried to get up, fell, and hit the drive control. The ship was still on manual. The drive
kicked on. The acceleration threw the monster backward, drove Lyle and Barton into their seats.
Even though they couldnтАЩt move, the thing somehow managed to drag itself onward.
It was a nightmare. It couldnтАЩt be real.