The Departure Protocol

Chapter 25

"Understood," Shea replied. "How are you doing with the door?"

"It's about half-way closed," Wared said as he grabbed the handle and continued his efforts to close the door. "But it's not easy going."

"Can you tell what is approaching? Is it human or mechanized?"

"Human or mechanized? What do you mean? Does the Protectorate use robots?"

"For recon missions, yes, sometimes they do."

Wared paused momentarily to get a better look at what was approaching. He could just make out a human-sized figure approaching as it was illuminated again and again as the corridor came alive in front of it.

"I think human," he said and renewed his efforts with the handle. The door squealed with each push and pull, inching closer and closer to the opposite wall with each effort. Sweat poured down Wared's face as he alternated focusing on the handle and glancing at the approaching figure.

He only had a few inches left when he heard rapid steps echoing on the other side of the door. Running steps. With aching muscles, he moved the handle a few more times until the door reached the wall and slid into the wall.

Wared collapsed on the floor panting and wiped the sweat of his forehead with his sleeve. "The door is closed," he said, just as he heard a bang from the other side of the door. "Just in time too, it seems."

"Good," Shea replied. "Make sure you lock the handle in place so that they can't open it from the other side."

Wared looked up, eyes wide. "They can open it from the other side?"

"I'm sure. It's an emergency mechanism."

Shea had barely spoken the words before the door squealed again. It moved back a fraction of an inch. Wared felt his heard jump in his chest and jumped to his feet and grabbed the handle. Someone was trying to open the door from the other side.

His eyes danced across the control surfaces next to the handle and the control panel, but nothing apparent stood out as the lock he was looking for.

"It has to be here, it has to be here," he grunted as he strained to keep the handle from moving further.

"Is the door closed?" Shea's voice came over the radio.

"I'm trying," Wared said with a strained voice. "Someone is trying to open it from the other side."

"Who?" Shea replied after a moment's silence.

"I don't know. I'm just trying to—"

The door jerked open another inch and Wared almost lost his grip on the handle.

"Wared?" a muted voice came from the other side of the door, through the narrow crack between the door and the wall. "Is that you?"

Wared gasped and almost let go of the handle. He recognized the voice. Henrin.

"Wared? I know you're there. Can you open the door?" The voice was calm but firm. There was no doubt that the question was in fact a command.

"Can you lock the door remotely?" Wared whispered to Shea.

"Yes I can. Why are you whispering?"

"As soon as you see the door closed, engage the lock."

"Ok. What's going on, Wared?"

"Just do it, ok? Ready?"

"I'm ready."

Wared took a deep breath and ensured he had a good grip on the handle. He put his right foot against the wall right next to the handle and braced himself.