Top Men Excerpt "Something like that."

Here is an excerpt from Dr. Wallo: Top Men. To get both Dr. Wallo short stories, New Recruits and Top Men, buy them here or order the print version of Dr Wallo: Designation 8.

 The next room was more of a hallway that rounded a spire of rock. It flowed right with one large archway to another room on their right. It then rounded back to the left side of the spire and led to the main room, which held the tomb. The sarcophagus was large. On the wall behind it was another image of the armored hero kneeling in front of some symbol Austin didn’t understand. “I guess the most important part is the orbital sensors. You’re still getting a read on them, yeah?” Austin asked without turning to Darren.

 “Yeah, it’s a slightly weakened signal but it will let me know the second anyone enters the atmosphere,” Darren answered with an awe in his voice. “Beautiful isn’t it?”

 Austin looked back at him now. Darren was looking at the artwork on the wall in front of them. Austin turned to the image himself. It was beautiful, but he knew Darren meant the entire place. And he agreed. The way the light twisted into the tomb was just enough to cast a soft glow on everything. The decorations had an air of stateliness, while the design of the floor tiles displayed ample style. It almost removed the regret and remorse Austin would normally feel at any grave.

 “You guys really come through the front door?” a voice asked from just behind them.

 Austin spun around and saw a man he recognized. He sighed and his shoulders fell relaxed. How had they missed him? Austin was certain the man’s name was Neal. He was in the same organization, a doctor as well, he thought, maybe a fixer.

 “Easy to do when you have a great designer,” Austin quipped.

 “And you brought your designer on a watch block mission,” Neal said shaking his head.

 “Watch block?” Austin smiled back at Neal, only beginning to suspect the man was criticizing him.

 “I get not reading the whole file, but do you have any idea about what we’re doing here?”

 Austin laughed. “We?” He looked back to Darren. His designer only offered a shrug.

 “He shouldn’t even know about this place.” Neal’s tone made clear this was no joke.

 “I’m sorry, you want to tell me who you are again?” Austin shook off his uncertainty. He moved closer to the tomb and leaned his hip on it.

 Neal smiled and looked at the floor. He uncrossed his arms and his hands drifted to his waist, his thumbs resting in his belt. “For this mission, I say you call me captain or maybe boss, but otherwise, go with Neal.”

 “Ah, I thought that was you.” Austin kept his lean and demeanor relaxed, but it took effort.

 “Your buddy here needs to be off world, fast.”

  Austin stood as he let out his cackle. He was relieved to shift his position.

 “You’ll catch a ride with me,” Neal said plainly.

 Austin studied Neal’s face. He swung back to Darren. His expression suggested he agreed with Neal.

 “All right, Darren, I’ll catch up with you after we finish here,” Austin said, nodding. His eyes fixed on Neal’s again. He had either broken protocol or just made a new enemy.

 Darren began walking towards the large door they had entered. He stopped and turned back.

 “It’s fine now. You’ve already come through there once,” Neal said through a huff and a wave at the door.

 Darren put up a finger as if he had just realized it too. He then used his device to key up the command for the door to open.

 Austin scanned the large mural on the wall behind the casket as he tried to think of how to handle Neal.

 Neal stood next Austin as they waited for the doors to shut behind Darren. “It’s a little surreal to be standing here, huh?” Neal said, as he stared at the tapestry.

 “Yeah, it’s crazy,” Austin said.

 “Everything I’ve studied puts the pronunciation as Thucscionus.” Neal’s tone was somber.

 Austin nodded. He guessed that was the name of the man buried here.

 “Stupid sounding name,” Neal continued, “but there has been no greater story of a man fighting for the protection of a people.”

 “Right, and I guess somebody thinks his remains are worth something,” Austin said with a shrug.

 Neal sighed. “You don’t know the story do you?”

“Well, I have to assume … ”

 “Look at that casket. Look at that picture. He is buried in the armor.”

 “Yeah, the armor. Of course.” Austin smiled and shook his head. He looked back at the casket. It was enormous. “Somebody would need a forklift.”

 “Yeah,” Neal laughed. “The legend goes that another will one day be righteous enough to wear the armor.” Neal turned to Austin. “Bla, bla, bla,” he said, rolling his eyes.

 “Oh, like it’s magical.”

 “Yeah, he defeated a thousand soldiers on his own. So there is something special about it.”

 “Ha, well according to legend,” Austin said turning back to the wall.

 “Uh, no, that was well documented. It was only a couple hundred years ago.” Neal leaned back on the casket. “He then took on the main force of that army, which was bigger than that.” Neal pointed back at the fourth banner. “And defeated them, freeing several other worlds from their oppression at the same time. One of those planets swore to protect Thucscionus’ planet at the time of his death. The Anazius race is believed to have built this tomb.”

 “Wow, I had no idea. Sounds like a good file to read,” Austin said looking skeptically at Neal.

 “Oh no, none of that is in the file. I’ve just studied him. If this armor got into the wrong hands … ” Neal shook his head.

 “Bad news,” Austin added.

 “Yeah,” Neal agreed as he turned to Austin. “Look, just stick with me on this mission. Maybe you can learn a few things.”

 “Sounds good. And thanks.” Austin was sure Neal was a fixer. You didn’t really keep tabs on other agents in Designation Eight, but generally it was easy to know when you met another one.

 “No problem. Do me a favor. Sit on that for a minute.” Neal pointed towards the sarcophagus. “I want to look around.”

 “Ha, sure. Like it may just disappear otherwise,” Austin said as he hopped up onto the stone sarcophagus. As he made it up, Neal shot him a look that suggested it could.

 Neal then began to search the room. He went to corners and looked them up and down. He stood at the doorway to the room they were in and tested the direction of the draft with his thumb after licking it. He placed his ear on to random spots on the wall and then the floor. As he concluded his research of the place, he shook his head as if he had discovered some very bad news.

 “You alright?” Austin asked him.

 “Yeah.” Neal looked back at him. “I should fill you in on our suspect too.”

 “Great,” Austin said as he began to slide off the tomb.

Neal pointed at the tomb.

 “Okay, okay” Austin put his hands up and slid back in place.

 “Rylken,” Neal said.

 Austin tilted his head at the word.

 “Rylken is an evil undead necromancer who has existed hundreds of years longer than anything should. His soul is likely just as augmented as his body.” Neal looked around the room, ending his gaze up into the crystal work embedded in the ceiling. It gave light in a soft glow, making the crystal itself easy to look at without being blinding. “His only purpose has been collecting an army of unique and powerful soldiers and machines. He enslaves them, or bribes them, but controls them regardless.” Neal stepped closer to the casket again. “We’ve been watching him since he started, always wondering if he was only driven to collect the strongest force in existence or if he had intentions of using it.”

 “He plans to wear the armor?”

 “Something like that,” Neal said. “Tough to guess what crazy is gonna do next. But we know he has made an effort to find this place and that’s enough for us to send you.”

 “How is he going to use the armor if it will only work on someone like Thucscionus?” Austin asked, looking at the mural again. He could sense Neal’s look of disapproval. 

 “Right, that’s just legend.” Austin stood up on the casket. “This feels kind of stupid just waiting for him to get here.”

 “Oh, he is already here,” Neal said. He then took slow somber steps towards the stairwell. “Wait here,” Neal said, turning back to Austin. “And whatever you do, don’t get off that casket.”

 “He’s here?” Austin asked. He got it out just before Neal headed down the stairwell. He turned back to the mural and sat. What Neal had told him was amazing. Austin understood now that the banner displaying the man in front of an army was not an image of him addressing his own troops, but an image of him standing in front of the force he had defeated. 

 He took a pulse drain node from his pocket and twirled it gently in his hand. The device would wreck any electronic parts of this Rylken character. Darren was good at what he did and Austin knew he was lucky to have him. His missions, and even his life had been saved from certain doom by some device Darren had created.

 Austin put the small metal cylindrical device away as he recalled what Neal had said about him being here. Austin had never heard of a mission type that a designer was not allowed on. From what Neal said, it would only be an issue if he didn’t trust Darren. But what kind of doctor doesn’t trust his designer?

 Austin leaned back, propping his hands behind him and stretching his legs out. After a moment of silence, he began to shake his head. “Holy shit, I’m an idiot.” He stood up and looked around the room. “Pretty funny guys. You got me.” Austin hopped down from the casket. “Prank the new guy. I get it.” Austin headed towards the front door but stopped and looked back at the mural. “You in on this, too?”

 In what seemed like a response, Austin heard a chattering coming from the ceiling. It sounded like several nails tapping on the stone wall. Blurry creatures began pouring out of the crystals. They moved in the few shadows of what was otherwise a well-lit area. He ran back and hopped onto the tomb. Austin reached into a pocket, retrieved his goggles, and slid them on as he looked up. The creatures came into focus as metal spiders with legs pulled in tight as they scurried down the walls. They gave off a sharp, electric-blue glow through the view of his goggles. Austin shivered slightly as he got a better view. They had a furry center and long, thin metallic legs. 

 “Not funny anymore, guys,” Austin said.

 The swarm spread out and surrounded him. Austin decided to let them get as close as possible before he switched on the pulse node. There were so many he doubted it would take them all out, but he had to start somewhere.

 As they got close, a few jumped at him. Instinctively he began kicking them away, but one of the creatures managed to latch on. Within seconds, several more were crawling over him. He felt no bites or stings of any kind, but he waited for them. He kept a tight grip on the pulse node. The spiders on his feet jerked him to the right and Austin landed hard on his right elbow but twisted quickly to his back and barely managed to hold on to the node. He waited for fangs or claws to pierce his skin, but the spiders were clearly trying to drag him away. He could suddenly imagine a fate worse than being poisoned.