The Walker

Walker gazed at the heavy doorway, thinking. Benny had left them some time ago, refusing to actually go underneath the library itself, so Walker had left the rat to scurry away.

He rubbed his chin, taking in the door. It was large, set into the concrete wall of the tunnel ahead. Faded warning signs and peeling yellow paint plastered its rusted, blood red surface. It looked impregnable, and powered down.

Walker cursed inwardly, and crept forward. The tunnel here was darker; the lights had been removed, but it was at least dryer. There were no leaks in the library above; the Librarian wouldn’t allow his books to be damaged.

“How are we going to open it?” Daisy asked, knelt at his side.

He ran a hand over the door, ignoring the control panel to the left. His visor was making up for the darkness, but he couldn’t make all of it out. His fingers traced the bumps and gouges; bullet wounds and blast marks scoured the pitted metal surface, marking signs of some forgotten battle.

He felt along the bottom of the door, feeling for any gaps, a draft, any space he could get a hand in and try to lift. Nothing.

Walker cursed quietly and stood up.

Daisy spoke, “Walker, why don’t—“

He silenced her with a wave, “Not know, girl. I’m thinking.”

She frowned at him, “Don’t start that again. Look, why don’t we—“

He turned to her, “Look, there’s no way in. The door is closed tight. We’ll have to go back, find another route. Maybe we can catch up with the thief, see if he knows of another doorway.”

Daisy shook her head as Walker turned from the door, rubbing his chin. It seemed that the roof top was the best way in, after all. The guards would be a problem, though, Walker thought to himself.

He started to make his way back down the tunnel, when he was brought out of his brooding by a single, low beep.

He turned to see Daisy, standing, arms folded, by the door’s control panel, which was now emanating a soft, blue glow that pulsed slowly, bathing them intermittently in eerie half-light.

“What did you do?” Walker asked.

Daisy tilted her head, visor flashing with the beat of the panel’s light. “I just tried the button. To see if it would work.”

Walker shook his head. He had assumed that the power was off in this area. “Press it again,” he grunted.

Daisy obliged, and the pulse stopped, replaced by a solid glow. There was a low rumbling, and the door started to slide, edging its way slowly upwards. She half bowed, spreading her arms, “Tah-dah,” she said, “Like magic.”

Walker grunted at her, “Fair enough. Don’t get big headed about it.”

Daisy smiled slightly, turning to watch the door’s progress.

Walker was about to warn her about what may lay ahead, when there was a grinding noise, and the door halted. There was a metallic snap of metal, and the door shuddered, locking into place. The light on the control panel blinked, and went out.

He sighed. “Damn.”

The gap the door had left was too small for either of them to crawl through. He pressed the button again, but nothing happened.

He took his hat off and ran his hand through his hair, feeling tired. He went to shift the bag on his shoulder, but his hand grasped at nothing. He gritted his teeth and turned to Daisy. “Get a hand on that door, girl.”

She looked at him, flicking her visor up. “You’re not going to try to lift it, surely? The thing must weigh a tonne”

She watched as Walker stretched, spreading his arms out across his chest. He rubbed his hands together, and flexed, stretching the leather of his gauntlets.

“He is...” Daisy shook her head. “Okay, what are we doing?”

Walker looked at her. “There should be another panel on the opposite side of the door. I need you to roll under and find it. Hopefully, it still works.”

Daisy looked from him to the door, and back again. “Roll under that? What if it drops?”

Walker’s face remained impassive. “It won’t.” He tapped his chest plate, making a dull ringing noise. “The rig will take most of the weight. Just be quick.”

Daisy looked back to the door, and took a deep breath. “Okay.”

Walker clasped her shoulder, briefly, then took his position at the door. He stretched his back one more time, then hunkered down.

“Ready, girl?”

“Ready.”

Walker grabbed the bottom of the door and tensed, waiting for the lifters on his back plate to notice and take up the strain. They began to hiss, his cue to lift. He began to straighten up, and the hissing grew. There was a crunch, a scream of metal, and the door began to shift, ever so slightly.

Walker gritted his teeth and tried to straighten further, but couldn’t. The veins on his neck leapt out, and the rig took more of the strain. The lifters in his boots began to trill, and a warning tone pealed from his chest plate, signalling that he was attempting to lift too much. He ignored it.

The door shifted again, just an inch, and the hissing was replaced by a high pressure whine. Spots began to flash in Walker’s vision as he heaved at the door.

He felt Daisy drop to the ground next to him, ready to roll through the gap. He shut his eyes, gathered his remaining strength, and pulled, willing the door to shift. It did, just.

He felt her brush past his leg as she tucked through the gap. “I’m through!”

He darted back as the door slammed. Walker dropped to one knee, breathing hard, trying to clear the dark patches from his vision. He retracted his visor and wiped the sweat from his eyes.

Walker made to stand, but fell backwards, landing heavily. The tone from his armour still rang, informing him that the rig was damaged. He flapped a hand wearily at a switch near his neck and silenced it.

He sat in the dust, lungs burning, ears straining for any sound from the other side of the door. How would he get in if Daisy couldn’t find the switch, or got caught? He’d have to head to the roof anyway, after all that effort. He spat into the darkness and bowed his head.