Sully stood outside his small family home, watching the sun rise over the city skyline. He took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp morning air, and closed his eyes for a moment. It was moments like these that he treasured most – moments of stillness and calm before the chaos of the day began.
Sully was a man of routine. He woke up at the same time every day, drank his coffee black, and kissed his wife goodbye before heading out to work. His job was not a typical one. Sully was a memory trader, a profession that had become increasingly popular in recent years. In this world, memories were a commodity, and those who had the most valuable ones held the power.
Sully had always been good at reading people. As a child, he had a knack for telling when someone was lying, and as he grew older, he learned how to use this to his advantage. He became a skilled memory trader, able to extract valuable memories from people and trade them for profit.
Sully's wife, Maya, was the love of his life. They had met in college, and Sully knew from the moment he saw her that she was the one. She was beautiful, intelligent, and kind, and he felt lucky every day to wake up beside her. Maya was also a scientist, working on a cure for a mysterious disease that had been spreading throughout the city.
Sully's motivation for becoming a memory trader was simple – he wanted to provide for his family. He wanted to give Maya the resources she needed to continue her research and find a cure for the disease that was slowly killing people in the city. Sully knew that his job was not without its risks, but he believed that the rewards were worth it.
As Sully walked into his office building, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over him. He knew that today would be a difficult day, with some of his most challenging clients lined up for meetings. But he pushed the feeling aside and focused on the task at hand – trading memories for profit.
Sully's goal was simple – to become the best memory trader in the city. He wanted to build a reputation for himself and his family, to make a name for himself in the memory trading world. And he was determined to do whatever it took to achieve that goal.
As Sully sat down at his desk and opened his laptop, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. Today would be a challenging day, but he was ready for it. He took a sip of his coffee and smiled, knowing that he was doing everything he could to provide for his family and help Maya find a cure for the disease that threatened their city.
Sully scrolled through his email inbox, his eyes darting across the subject lines of various messages from clients and colleagues. He paused on one email, recognizing the name of a notorious memory dealer who was known for his ruthless tactics and unethical practices.
Sully had never dealt with this particular trader before, but he had heard enough about him to know that he should proceed with caution. He hesitated for a moment, considering whether to even take the meeting, but ultimately decided that the potential payoff was worth the risk.
He sent a quick reply, agreeing to the meeting later that afternoon, and turned his attention to his other appointments for the day. There were a few regular clients that he had worked with before, as well as some new faces that he was looking forward to meeting.
As the morning wore on, Sully felt his nerves beginning to fray. He was jittery, his mind racing with thoughts of the meeting he had scheduled with the memory dealer. He knew that he needed to stay focused, but his anxiety was making it difficult.
He took a few deep breaths and tried to center himself, reminding himself of his motivation for doing this job in the first place – to provide for his family and help Maya find a cure for the disease that was plaguing their city.
As the clock ticked closer to his meeting, Sully gathered his things and made his way out of the office building. He walked down the busy street, the sounds of the city swirling around him, and felt a sense of dread wash over him.
He knew that this meeting would be a test of his skills as a memory trader, but he also knew that the stakes were high. He couldn't afford to mess this up. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the meeting room.
The memory dealer was already there, sitting across from him at the table, a smug grin on his face. Sully took a deep breath and tried to stay calm, knowing that he needed to be on his guard.
They exchanged pleasantries, and then the memory dealer got down to business, asking Sully what memories he had to trade. Sully hesitated for a moment, considering his options, before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, nondescript device.
"This," he said, holding up the device, "contains the memories of a prominent politician. They're worth quite a bit on the market."
The memory dealer raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. They haggled back and forth for a few minutes, before finally settling on a price. Sully left the meeting feeling triumphant, knowing that he had secured a valuable trade and proven himself as a skilled memory trader.
But as he walked down the street, his mind began to race with thoughts of the memory dealer's tactics and the moral implications of what he was doing. He knew that this job was not without its risks, but he couldn't help but wonder if the rewards were worth it.
He pushed the thoughts aside, determined to focus on his goal of providing for his family and helping Maya find a cure for the disease. But as he walked into his office building and sat down at his desk, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was not quite right.
Sully tried to focus on his work, but he found himself distracted by the memory dealer's words and actions. He couldn't help but wonder if the man was truly as ruthless as he had heard, and if he himself was becoming too involved in the morally questionable world of memory trading.
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He had no other way to provide for his family, and no other way to help Maya find a cure. He was doing what he had to do, and he couldn't let himself be consumed by doubts.
He turned his attention back to his computer and began sifting through his emails once again, responding to requests from clients and scheduling meetings for the upcoming week. As he worked, his mind drifted back to his family.
He thought of his wife, Sarah, who had always been supportive of his work but had grown increasingly worried about the dangers of memory trading. He thought of his daughter, Maya, who was suffering from the disease that had devastated their city and who relied on his income to pay for her treatments.
He couldn't let them down. He had to keep working, no matter the cost. But as the hours passed and the day wore on, Sully found himself growing more and more uneasy.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he was playing a dangerous game, one that could have disastrous consequences for him and his family. He knew that he needed to be careful, to tread lightly in the world of memory trading, but he also knew that he couldn't turn back now.
As the day drew to a close, Sully gathered his things and made his way out of the office. He felt drained, both physically and emotionally, but he also felt a sense of accomplishment. He had secured a valuable trade, and he had provided for his family.
But as he stepped out into the street, he saw something that made his blood run cold. A group of men in black suits were gathered across the street, watching him intently. They looked like government agents, and Sully knew that he was in trouble.
He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should try to run or hide. But then he thought of his family, and he knew that he couldn't abandon them. He squared his shoulders and walked confidently down the street, ready to face whatever lay ahead.