Previously:

     "Ugh, couldn't there be an easier way down floor to floor? Rather than taking fucking stairs." Sam was exhausted after the fight with the engine. Now with fighting a cough and falling down a flight of stairs just to get to her room. She wasn't feeling that good, the light-headedness was getting worse to the point where everything was blurry and spinning. Having to lean on the wall that separated her from the representative of the worker, she was all alone.

     Nobody knew she was there except for the security guards at the entrance and exit of the floor. Sam knew they didn't care about her as long as she got off the floors promptly and she was trying. She didn't like being on this floor, it only reminded her of how little she knew about what went on in Sulla. About halfway down the hallway, Sam had another coughing fit that shook her whole body. She had to rip off her surgical mask as she already felt like she couldn't breathe and needed more air. Blood dripped from the inside of the mask. Taking a deep in and only to violently exhale it in a cough that made everything burn and her vision to go black. Falling to the floor Sam couldn't breathe and thought she was going to die. As footsteps slowly came up to her she could only hope that they would take pity and at least move her off the floor.

     Present: Unknown person

     I need to get off the floor. NOW! I came and did what I needed to do and just as I'm leaving there's a fucking girl passed out on the floor too! Do I leave her? She's not looking so good.

"Well, you are both extremely lucky and unlucky today lady."

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     Warmth... that's all Sam could feel. A warmth she hadn't felt in years, and clear breathing... Sam took in a deep breath and felt her lungs fill to a capacity she wasn't used to. "No coughing." She mumbled under her breath. Clear lungs and Warmth. Sam dared to open an eye and take in her surroundings, she was in a room and in a bed. That's what the warmth was, a heavy blanket lain over her. The room was small and there was a window that pointed out to the rest of the floor. It was obvious she was in the Marketplace. The room was bigger than it could be in the Living Quarters and outside the window stood many more buildings full of stalls and supplies. How did I get here? The last thing she remembered was being on the representative’s floor and coughing out a lung. The guards wouldn't have moved her to a room like this, at most they would've just moved her to outside the floor and on the stairs with a good beating for a reminder not to do it again.

     Looking around Sam noticed an envelope by her bed on a nightstand and she picked it up. She hadn't seen paper outside her own books in years... everything on Sulla was electronic. The leaders felt that paper was too wasteful and demanded that we all get a phone instead. 'To save the resource' or something stupid like that. The envelope wasn't address to anyone specifically but said "Open Me" on the front. The lettering was really neat, perfectly in the center, and in an elegant cursive. Opening it Sam was able to read what it said with the help of her father's teachings.

"Welcome back to the world of the healthy.

You've had a rough couple week, but you managed to pull through. Aren't you lucky? I've spent all this time healing you up, so please don't waste it... you're in the marketplace, floor 21. Please leave as soon as you wake up and can move around. The kind merchant whose room you're staying in has been sleeping on the floor by his stall and has been watching out for you.

Also, as a note for you; you were involved in a deadly situation on the floor you passed out on... You will be picked up by the watchers and when you are, be honest. Give them this letter if you must.

Your Welcome,

Ghost of Archimedes "

     "Shit!" This was bad, so very, very bad. Sam knew about the Ghost of Archimedes, everyone did... There were stories of a lone, rogue, man who would kill whomever he deemed necessary for his cause. That being of course anarchy... Sam didn't much care for the way the leaders ran things, but she knew it was better than nothing. If we didn't have any order who would make sure we didn't just kill each other for what the other person had? We needed something, and the Ghost of Archimedes didn't agree with that. Which meant something happened on the representative's floors, and she was there at the same time.

"SHIT."

     Grabbing the letter Sam swung her legs off the ledge of the bed. She was still in her clothes which was good, though they did stink and were still dirty. Standing up Sam knew she needed to get out of there, while it was nice that the Ghost healed her. She didn't need or want to be affiliated with him and needed to get this cleared up as soon as possible. The guards were probably searching for her and there should be a reward out for her whereabouts. Like a criminal

     Walking was a little trickier, her muscles were jelly from not being used in such a long time. A couple of weeks? Oh man, this isn't good. A few steps later and Sam could finally keep her balance with a few steps. Leaving the room, she stepped out into a hallway with a couple more rooms off to each side. On her left was the end of the hallway and another window, to the right, the path led to stairs. Probably to the first floor and a way out.

     Being as quiet as possible, Sam walked down the stairs and found the first floor full of people, crammed wall to wall, and a single merchant behind a desk yelling out prices while holding up a bottle of shampoo. An older man with a white beard that was braided together, the merchant had everyone's attention with the luxury resource. We were all given a free bar of soap at the beginning of the week but shampoo or conditioner, especially the kind that smelled nice, was expensive and up to us to get if we desired it.

     Sam was hoping to go unnoticed and slip behind the crowd. However, with a single sweeping gaze, she felt the merchant's eyes on her and he winked. Yelling louder, the elderly man motioned his head toward the door and gave a big smile. Sam couldn't help but wave and mouthed a thank you. It's never happened to Sam, to have a complete stranger would help another stranger. She stepped out of the little house and was soon surrounded by people.

     So many people squashed together looking at supplies and talking to each other. Nearly all were wearing their facial mask and had gloves on. There was no doubt that the Marketplace was the social hub of the lower floors and probably not the place she wanted to be right now. She didn't even have her mask to help hide her identity. Already a middle-aged woman whispered to her partner and pointed at Sam. Feeling like she needed to get out of the situation and quick. She took a deep breath and once again was surprised by how much better she could breathe.  Maybe I can run again, I just need to get to my floor I'm sure someone is watching my room and would see me entering it. Better them than these people who would rather tackle me to get a reward.

     Not giving it much thought, Sam felt her legs push off in a full sprint. She pushed past all the people with a single goal in mind. Her room, she needed to get there, there she would be safe. Running was exhilarating, she would be laughing right now if she wasn't so desperate to get home. How long has it been since I've ran like this? Even before I got sick I took this for granted didn't I. They had cameras up and down all the hallways on the Rep's floor, surely, they would see that she didn't have anything to do with the Ghost and would let her go on in peace. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Exiting the market floors Sam pushed herself to get to her floor and quick.

     21 floors later and Sam was still feeling pretty good. I mean sure she was sweating to the point where her shirt was two shades darker, but the deep breaths and the quivering muscles in her legs meant that she definitely feeling better. Maybe pushing herself a little far but it felt great to finally feel a little bit like her old self.

      Walking down the hallway that was floor 42, it was like walking in a cornfield but with hallways that led to rooms. Her's was on the last row to the left, so she got a window room but was pretty far from the washrooms that were near the center aisle. However, Sam probably didn't have time to wash up today. She needed to be ready for the guards or whoever to bang on her door. Walking down the hallway everything was grey and dull.

     Opening her door with a swipe of her ID, she was met with the familiar sight of her room, a small 10x10 space with a cot in one corner. A fridge, oven, and table in another corner, and in the corner closest to her door a curved curtain hid a space for a toilet. This is the bare essentials that every room was designed with and she was lucky enough to have a window. That didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun with her room, for example, she built bookshelves wherever she could along the walls and filled them with books and little mechanical trinkets.

     Books were in the same boat as paper, the leaders thought it wasteful to create paper books when you could just read a book on the cellphone they provided. So they stopped giving them out long ago. Sam inherited most of her collection from her father, and every once in awhile, Sam would find a book in the Marketplace or hiding in some obscure place in the tower. She didn't know why she found them so important to her, but they were.

     Something that connected her to the past, something that could be felt, smelled, and shared with others. Sam smiled in fond memories of reading with her father. He would read a new story to her every night and Sam loved those moments. The mechanical trinkets? Sam built all of them and they all had a unique wind-up. Her favorite? A small bird that when wound up with spread its wings and flapped them like it was flying. Getting lost in thought Sam almost missed the knocking at her door. Almost.

"Samantha Yuri Green? We know you're in there and you know why we're here. Let us in peacefully or else we'll make a scene."