Erik's eyes hurt so bad he couldn't stand the thought of opening them, but he had to. His mind was reeling with confusion. He was in a strange place, and couldn't remember how he'd gotten here. True this wasn't the first time he'd woken up wondering where he was, but this was so different.
He tried to sit up, but his muscles refused to obey his commands. Everything was stiff. He heard a dull humm and felt the stale air as it rushed in to his cryogenic sleep chamber when the cover was automatically lifted.
With a great amount of will power, he forced his arms and legs to move and sat up again. Peering into the thick darkness, he rested his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands as he tried to recall something, anything that would give him a clue.
Suddenly, as a light flickered on beside him and his eyes fell on the chamber next to his, he saw the symbol of the medical lab and it all came rushing back to him.
Erik had been the victim of a crime. Or rather, he'd been the unwilling participant, forced to take part in a string of minor burglaries that was used as a distraction for a drug ring moving an unforetold quantity of product through Ayenee Capital City. But the police were alerted of the distraction and arrested everyone involved, including the three drug lords and the dirty cops. That was the bust that had kept Ayenee drug free ever since.
Erik, having been on the lower end of the totem pole for people who were to be prosecuted for the conspiracy, was given a choice. He could spend the rest of his life in the maximum security prison the rest of the drug ring was going to be sent to, or he could take part in a series of high-risk medical experiments that would, ultimately, never allow him to re-enter society. He opted for the experiments. Cryogenics were the new wave at the time, and Dr. Roe had been positive that it would work. Erik watched as the doctor set the timer for five days, then entered the chamber, and tried to breathe normally.
So, Erik concluded that he'd been asleep for seven days. But then where was Dr. Roe? And why was the only light in the room coming from other cryogenic chambers, none of which were open, and only a few of which actually appeared to have power? Erik decided he would have to find Dr. Roe first, and after that he could worry about what would happen to him next.
He tried to sit up, but his muscles refused to obey his commands. Everything was stiff. He heard a dull humm and felt the stale air as it rushed in to his cryogenic sleep chamber when the cover was automatically lifted.
With a great amount of will power, he forced his arms and legs to move and sat up again. Peering into the thick darkness, he rested his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands as he tried to recall something, anything that would give him a clue.
Suddenly, as a light flickered on beside him and his eyes fell on the chamber next to his, he saw the symbol of the medical lab and it all came rushing back to him.
Erik had been the victim of a crime. Or rather, he'd been the unwilling participant, forced to take part in a string of minor burglaries that was used as a distraction for a drug ring moving an unforetold quantity of product through Ayenee Capital City. But the police were alerted of the distraction and arrested everyone involved, including the three drug lords and the dirty cops. That was the bust that had kept Ayenee drug free ever since.
Erik, having been on the lower end of the totem pole for people who were to be prosecuted for the conspiracy, was given a choice. He could spend the rest of his life in the maximum security prison the rest of the drug ring was going to be sent to, or he could take part in a series of high-risk medical experiments that would, ultimately, never allow him to re-enter society. He opted for the experiments. Cryogenics were the new wave at the time, and Dr. Roe had been positive that it would work. Erik watched as the doctor set the timer for five days, then entered the chamber, and tried to breathe normally.
So, Erik concluded that he'd been asleep for seven days. But then where was Dr. Roe? And why was the only light in the room coming from other cryogenic chambers, none of which were open, and only a few of which actually appeared to have power? Erik decided he would have to find Dr. Roe first, and after that he could worry about what would happen to him next.