23. Evelyn
Evelyn
The summon comes via internal comms not soon after I finish my shower.
“Report to Control Room. Immediately.”
My stomach turns to stone. I knew this moment was coming. No sense running away from it now.
I get dressed and hurry through the sterile halls of this blasted compound. On the outside, I look composed. On the inside? I’m losing my shit .
When I reach the control room, the doors slide open automatically with a mechanical hiss.
He’s already waiting for me.
Dr. Kelly stands with his back to me, arms crossed behind him, staring at one of the many high-definition monitors mounted on the wall. It shows various security feeds. Mostly empty corridors, empty rooms, and a view of the jungle outside.
I don’t care about any of those.
I care about the feed in the bottom corner. A dark cell. Reinforced walls. One chained orc sitting still, head bowed.
Varkul.
I clench my hands into fists.
“You wanted to see me?” I ask.
Dr. Kelly turns towards me and smiles. It’s the thin, sharp smile of a man who knows too much.
“I believe congratulations are in order, Dr. Carter.”
Blood drains from my face. I swallow the lump in my throat and try to remain calm.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I think you do. But allow me to refresh your memory.”
He hits a button, and the camera feed shifts from Varkul’s cell to the med-bay. This feed is paused, frozen on a very specific image.
Me. Naked. Lying on a bed, head thrown back in ecstasy. Varkul is between my legs. His hands gripping my hips. His mouth on my throat.
My mouth goes dry.
“Does this help you remember? Or do you need to see it in motion?”
He taps a button. The footage starts playing. I watch, shocked, as Varkul claims me — hard and rough. It’s a miracle I can even walk after the hot, sweaty pounding he gave me.
Dr. Kelly turns back to me, smiling broadly.
“I have to admit,” he says, “you exceeded my expectations.”
“What?”
“We knew orcs had latent bonding instincts. We knew there was potential for reproductive compatibility — that much was obvious. But I never could have predicted such a strong response. Full mating behavior! Emotional imprinting! And on the very first attempt!”
“You were watching ,” I stammer, feeling my skin crawl.
“Of course.” He waves dismissively at the screen. “For scientific reasons only, of course. We can only achieve progress by pushing boundaries, but I was afraid you wouldn’t fully cooperate. But my word, was I wrong about you! Allowing our subject to fully penetrate you, unrestrained and without protection! Fascinating work, Dr. Carter, truly. Thanks to you, we have confirmation that orcs and humans can pair and bond. And, fingers crossed, that pregnancy is viable. How are you feeling, by the way?”
I take a step back. “You’re disgusting.”
“On the contrary. I’m focused . We are on the verge of a breakthrough, Dr. Carter. Do you understand what this means? Combining human adaptability with orc resilience, strength and longevity?”
“You just want an army of obedient super soldiers,” I say. “You don’t care about orcs, or humans, for that matter.”
His eyes gleam. The bastard is not listening to a word I’m saying.
“You are protective of him. You bonded with him. Emotionally. Biologically. Even now, your hormones levels are off the charts.”
I slap him.
Right across his face.
His glasses go flying across the room. He doesn’t respond. Instead, he just smirks as a trickle of blood leaves his bottom lip.
“Note to self: Subject is already infused with violent orc temperament,” he says.
“I won’t help you.”
“You don’t have a choice. Or I’ll pump Varkul so full of sedatives he won’t even remember your name, let alone his own. Is that what you want?”
My whole body trembles. It feels like the walls are closing in on me, and I can’t breathe anymore.
“You won’t be able to keep this a secret. People on Earth will find out,” I say. “My sister will come looking for me. Do you really think people on Earth are going to support this program, built on forced breeding and torture?”
“You are forgetting something elementary, Dr. Carter. Earth is light-years away. All communication is monitored, and those in power are fully onboard with this program. And your sister? A mere nuisance. We’ll tell her you died. She will be sad. She will move on. The end.”
I ball my fists, ready to land another punch, when the door behind me hisses open and two armed soldiers step into the room.
“Take her to her cell,” Dr. Kelly says. “And be gentle. We don’t want to harm the unborn child, do we?”