81

ORCHID

I wake up feeling like I have the worst hangover in human history.

My head is throbbing with dull pain and my mouth is so dry my tongue feels like duct tape on the roof of my mouth. Sharp pangs of hunger are gnawing at my empty stomach.

I ate before we left the Zone. How long have I been unconscious?

And most importantly, where the hell am I?

I open my eyes to find myself in a painfully lit room. It appears to be about six by six meters. I'm huddled against a wall and the cold steel panel is sucking heat from my completely naked body.

The opposite wall is mainly occupied by a large window with a control room on the other side. When my burning eyes finally adjust, I notice that a familiar face is giving me a placid smile on the other side.

“Cape Orchid,” Dr. Frostgrave intones as pleasantly as his cool voice manages. "I hope you don't mind watching you sleep."

"Yeah, that's not scary at all."

Frostgrave's eyes slide over my naked body and I shudder.

“The body piercings are a par