Sam's journey was rather uneventful, which was unsettling for the young man. He could rarely travel two feet without some disaster happening. The oasis disaster was just proof of that. As Ailmoor drew near, Sam readied himself. If there were any survivors in the desolate city, they would try to steal his reserves.

When Sam reached the city gate, a familiar face greater him. "Georgia!" he cried out, his voice hoarse from smoke.

"Sam Linkwood, what a surprise seeing you here," the young woman said. Her clothes were ragged and burnt, covered in ash. Brown hair fell to her shoulders, giving her a windswept look.

"Georgia, what are you doing here?" Sam asked, but he couldn't keep a grin from covering his face.

"I live in Ailmoor," Georgia replied nonchalantly. "The better question is, what are you doing here? I thought you were on the run."

Sam shrugged. "Well, I'm almost out of supplies, and I also happened to be in the area."

"You missed me."

"What?! No! Well, maybe a little?" Sam was blushing like mad.

Georgia laughed, reminding Sam of wind chimes. "Cmon, let me show you around." She led Sam into the ruins.

"Over that way is where the city is starting to fall apart," pointed Georgia. "You shouldn't go over there, but if you do, be careful. Last week a few towers fell on Mr. Benign."

Sam shot her a questioning glance. "Is he okay?"

Georgia shrugged. "The meds are trying to fix him up, but the damage might be too great to fix. Anyways," she pointed towards a flat area of the city. "Over there, the ground has been severely affected by the earthquakes. Although it doesn't look like it from here, three fissures have begun. Only those with a death wish would even try to approach it."

"So, where can I go?"

She thought for a moment, her eyebrows crinkling together in a way that Sam found endearing. "Let's see, you can go in the eastern section of the city, the library, and the underground safe houses. Anything else is fatally dangerous."

Sam mulled over this. "You have underground safe houses?"

"Yeah, most of the survivors live there. Why?"

"How many survivors are there?"

"Why don't I just show you?" Georgia led the way through the crumbling city to a small building. It was made of red brick, with a silvery metal roof. "This is the library. The entrances are inside."

Sam marveled at the old building, but was soon pulled back to reality when his guide vanished inside. He raced after her. "How old is the library?"

A smile etched itself on the brunette's face. "You are quite inquisitive. The library is from about 2318, but the shelters are even older." She studied a painting of a forest, then touched the bottom right corner. The painting and the lower half of the wall slid away to reveal a small staircase. "After you, Linkwood."

Sam stepped into the passage, his mind buzzing. How could this library have lasted for at least sixty years with all the fires, weather disasters, and earthquakes? His mind dwelled on these thoughts as he went down the steps and rounded a corner. To his surprise, an older man with graying hair and wizened eyes was sitting in a metal folding chair.

"Welcome to Ailmoor, Sam Linkwood. We've been expecting you."