My footsteps echoed through the metalic hallway as I flipped though 200 pages of material so boring it made me want to jump ship.

Ugh. This is going to take me eons to get through. Even the tri-dimention reality emulations were dull. At least I got to leave class early, I guess.

I barely looked down to swipe my room key, "Fif, help me out with this would yo–"

The book left my hand mid-script, thudding on the floor of our bunker doorway. Much more muffled now, it droned on about welding safety, but I was no longer listening.

I couldn't listen. I couldn't talk. I couldn't even breathe. All I could do was stand, as still as moonrock, and stare straight ahead.

Fifty's mouth was moving, but all I heard was a ringing, like when you drill too close to your ear, or when an unplanned sonic boom startles you awake.

They both looked shocked, worried, ashamed and pleading all at once.

Fifty suddenly lunged toward me, eyes widened. An attack I didn't see coming. He was my only friend. I trusted him through everything. Is this how it all ends? Is a struggle, a murder perhaps, really worth keeping the secret I had just witnessed? Perhaps. The Thou would make both of their lives a living Hell if they found out. Does he not trust me to keep a secret?

Instead, he kicked the book aside and hit the 'door close' button by my waist.

"I said shut the door dammit!" Fif spit, his face just milimetres from my forehead. He was annoyed? Confusion overwhelmed me. The sliding door pushed my heels forward and I danced onto all fours. It's taking 100% of my brain to decipher what has happened in the last six seconds.

I flip the book closed, shutting up the lecturing voice omitting from it's pages, and use it to prop myself upright.

"Section C." I manage to blurt out, "They'll send you to Section C."

"Ree, I'm going to be okay, but you have to promise you're not going to tell anyone."

I shake my head and look up at him. So he doesn't trust me, then. "What? Why would I tell anyone? I'm not an idiot."

I push the book into his chest, offended, officially making this the most emotionally-diverse minute of my life.

As I push past him, I lock eyes with Zeta. As a Thou, his skin is a much more beautiful, darker tone than anyone within 300 floors of us. I could see more of it now than ever. As I step over two shirts on the floor, my eyes move to the rest of his face. Sharp, postured, poised–everything a leader should be.

"Zeta." I state from my side of the room.

"Yes, Three?" He talked to me the way Thous talk to eachother. Formal, and weird.

"Fuck you."

Three. As in thirty-three. As in the seven-hundred-and-thirty-third baby to be born on lower-ship during this particular mission. From birth, we're assigned floors, education, jobs, and, well, bunkmates. And The Thou, living from the 1000th floor upward, get to dictate it all.

"I did not implement the system."

"Well you didn't break it, either."

"I am only doing what is told of me. That does not imply that I morally agree with it."

"Yeah, and so am I. Does that make our lives the same? Let's switch! I'll sit on a big chair all day and play with the lives of others, while you can go into the engine room and breathe in dirt from who-knows-what-planet while oil drips all over you."

"Ree. Stop." Fifty's tone was harsh.

"What are you doing? Why HIM?!"

"I love him, Ree. He's different than the others."

I wheezed my way through a laugh, "Then how is this the first time I'm hearing about this?!"

"I couldn't tell you... I'm sorry."

"This is suicide."

"Maybe."

"There are rules, Fif, and not mixing with the upper floors is like, number one." He leaned against the door and crossed his arms. "Listen, I'm all up for a revolution, and I've broken some pretty big rules myself, but this..."

"We know," chimed in Zeta.

"What's your plan, then? Steal an escape pod and live out your lives on the nearest planet?!"

They looked lovingly at eachother and smiled, so genuinely. Their hands interlaced and Zeta put his head on Fif's shoulder.

Well, shit.