Samuel Ayers

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— Samuel during Nik's route, reflecting on his situation

**Samuel Ayers** is the central protagonist of The Smoke Room. He is the only male prostitute at the Saguaro's Hip, and has gained notoriety in the desert boomtown of Echo. After murdering a miner in self-defense, he finds himself increasingly at odds with the townspeople—and maybe even the town itself—as he struggles to keep it a secret.

A version of Sam also appears in Echo as the voice inside the head of its protagonist.

## Appearance

Samuel is an albino mountain lion with striking red eyes and pure white fur, aside from black markings on his face and the tip of his tail. He is tall and muscular, and has been described as being "built like a house." Sam wears a casual off-white work shirt and dark green slacks held up with brown suspenders. The events of the prologue leave him with a scar on the back of his head, although it is only described and not shown.

During Cliff's route, Sam briefly wears Avery's hand-me-downs: a pair of denim overalls over a white dress shirt. While serving as an usher for a wedding during Murdoch's route, Sam wears a black suit over a gray waistcoat and a white dress shirt, as well as a white bowtie.

## Personality

* The Smoke Room
* Echo

Samuel is quiet and tends to keep to himself. He often comes across as surly and aloof but is typically agreeable and accommodating with clients, and around those close to him he displays much more warmth and a dry sense of humor. Despite his intimidating looks and stoic exterior, he is very prone to skittishness. He can be reactive and even impulsive as a result, and tends to get into trouble when he lets his fears or passions, or his genuine ignorance, affect his responses to difficult situations. While he is not vindictive, Sam has a tendency to be self-interested and is not above using seduction, manipulation, intimidation, theft, or, as a last resort, violence to ensure his own safety. He starts the story much more trusting and even gullible, but quickly becomes jaded and more selfish after Jack takes advantage of his naivety; to varying degrees, all the routes involve him learning to allow himself to trust and be vulnerable once again.

Due to his limited education Sam lacks general knowledge and is uninformed about much of the world, struggling with current political events and advanced vocabulary especially. Possibly related to this, Sam has a low opinion of himself, often referring to himself simply as a "whore," and denies having any other talents outside of his current profession. He is religious, although he does not attend church and has a complex relationship with God. Sam has been poor for his entire life and is very motivated by money and the security it confers.

Sam often shows an inclination towards melancholy and even bitterness. He is unsatisfied with his lot in life, but also sometimes seems to believe that he deserves to suffer. Deep down, however, he is a romantic, and dreams of a better life far away from Echo in a loving relationship.

The version of "Sam" depicted in Echo is indicated to be more akin to a facsimile of the living Sam rather than the man himself. As such, it lacks many of the nuanced characteristics notable about him from The Smoke Room. The primary trait that "Sam" retains is a deep resentment of his fate; he bears a heavy sense of loss for all the people he misses from his 'lifetime' and feels trapped in the cyclical nature of his preternatural existence. Sam also displays some of his typically snarky humor, frequently making jokes at his hosts' expense or deriding their predicaments and actions. He is largely self-interested and is willing to intervene in the actions of his hosts in order to keep them alive, and in a worst case scenario will even abandon them in favor of a new host that serves his purposes better.
## Story

* The Smoke Room
* Echo

### Early Life

Samuel Ayers was born on March 2nd, 1890 in the Magnolia State. His conspicuous albinism meant he quickly became accustomed to others remarking upon or even mocking him for his appearance. Sam grew up in an impoverished household and received only two years of formal schooling, before dropping out due to his family's inability to pay. He seems to have been a capable student at the free Sunday school he attended, however, and knows the Bible well. His upbringing was religious, specifically Baptist, and likely quite strict, based on his childhood memories of having his mouth washed out with bleach for swearing.

Little is known about Sam's family, but they are indicated to have been moonshiners who frequently operated outside the law, leading Sam to fear that he would one day 'go down with them.' Sam also seems to have resented that they often felt entitled to his time and tried to pressure him into learning a trade. By the events of The Smoke Room, Sam does not even know if anyone from his family is alive, and does not regret the estrangement.

For a time Sam was employed at his cousin's slaughterhouse, despite hating the work and the conditions. At some point he left home and headed westward, and mentions having freight-hopped in the past. Eventually he found himself in Echo, where after a brief stint working in the mines he met Madam Dora, who offered him work and a place to stay at the Saguaro's Hip. Samuel has made a name for himself as a prostitute and, for better or worse, is known even outside of Echo. While dozens of his customers come and go, Samuel has built up a rapport with a few of his regular clientele, including Sheriff William Adler and Nikolai Krol.

Over the course of the week prior to the start of The Smoke Room, Samuel is charmed by one of his new clients, a miner named Jack. Jack proposes that the two pool their money and start over on the West Coast, which Samuel takes him up on.

### Prologue

On a Sunday evening, Samuel prepares to leave Echo with Jack. He is interrupted by the arrival of a drunk Cynthia, urging him to join her and the rest of the girls downstairs. He admonishes her and rebuffs her offer, making an excuse so that he may leave in secret.

Around nine o'clock, Samuel packs up his belongings and leaves to meet Jack in the desert. Once there, Jack claims to have found long-abandoned gold sitting in the nearby mine. Enamored by the prospect of riches, Samuel follows Jack deep into the mines. When they arrive in a small hollow, Jack directs Samuel to the bags of gold, which are actually filed with rocks. Jack strikes Samuel with a shovel twice in the back of the head, concussing him. Jack takes Sam's earnings and intends to leave him in the mines, but Sam recovers enough to retaliate. Jack takes a pickaxe and attempts to kill Samuel, but he manages to pry the weapon from his paws and bury it in Jack's skull.

The reality of the situation sets in as Samuel backs away from Jack's body, filled with shock and dread. He attempts to leave, but plunges himself into darkness after accidentally knocking over the only lantern in the cavern. Samuel attempts to find the savings he brought with him for his escape, but is accosted by some sort of entity. He flees in a panic, and wanders through the mines for hours. Eventually, the early morning light leads Samuel outside. On his way back into town, he runs into Nikolai, who is horrified by the state he's in. Samuel brushes off Nik's offers to help, and returns to the Hip. He attempts to clean up and disinfect his head wound before passing out. Later, Samuel wakes up to Cynthia screaming. Madam Dora comes in to inspect his injuries, and he claims that he was assaulted by unseen assailants. Afterward, a doctor comes by to treat him.

Samuel spends the next several days recuperating, and although his wounds heal, he feels haunted by whatever he awakened in the mines. Cynthia delivers a message from Madam Dora, ordering him to take some leisure time. Samuel spends the afternoon in the saloon, where he meets Clifford Tibbits. Cliff attempts to proposition him at the bar, which attracts the attention of several unsavory townsfolk. When Cliff is kicked out of the saloon, Samuel follows him outside and watches him get beaten up. He consoles Cliff after his assailants flee, and kisses him to make him feel better. While Samuel is distracted by a growing crowd at the town's center, Cliff slips away. Sam then spots William and Murdoch Byrnes in the crowd, and the two inform him that Jack's body has been discovered. William promises to visit Samuel later and after he leaves, Samuel banters with Murdoch before returning to the Hip.

That evening, William visits Samuel, who performs fellatio on him. William also enlists Sam's help in gathering information on Jack. The two meet up with Murdoch downstairs in the saloon, and then head into the 'powder room' where the prostitutes gather to speak with Madam Dora. There, Samuel again runs into Cliff, who offers to double Sam's rate for a session with him. Samuel decides to wait to see if his regular, Nikolai, will show up. In the meantime, he and Cynthia tease Murdoch, who then proposes a wager: Sam has sex with Murdoch instead, and whoever finishes first gets five times Samuel's hourly fee. The conversation is interrupted by a gunshot, and the characters learn that a riot has broken out in Echo as a result of the miners of the town discovering that Jack has been killed. William tells everyone to stay inside, and Samuel is left to choose between his prospects.

### Cliff's Route

#### Chapter 1

Samuel initially characterizes Cliff as an easy mark and accepts him as a client simply for the promise of good payment, but the two are each able to surprise the other sexually and seem to form a bond by the end of their session. That night, Sam smells something rancid while in the grip of a sleep paralysis episode. He hears heavy breathing and sees the hazy shape of a large, gray-furred figure with hateful red eyes in the corner of his room, but as it bellows and begins to approach him he suddenly awakens. Sam then vomits, and Cliff helps him wash up and recover.

Some time later, Sam receives a shopping assignment from Cynthia and on his way to the store he encounters James Hendricks III for the first time. James brings up the sensitive subject of Sam's profession, but Sam gets him to back off by feigning ignorance. In front of the Byrnes family's general store Sam encounters Murdoch, who admits to feeling envious of Cliff and Sam's night together. When Murdoch mentions that Will is ramping up his investigation into the murder of Jack, Sam panics and rushes back to the Hip without completing his shopping, much to Cynthia's chagrin and Murdoch's confusion.

At the Hip, Cynthia informs Sam that he has a client waiting; he finds James in his room, and they have sex. James demands discretion about his tastes and then, as leverage, horrifies Sam by revealing he is aware that Nikolai is Sam's frequent customer and close confidant. Afterward, Ethel enters Sam's room and lets him know that Cliff has come to the Hip looking for him.

Cliff offers to hire Sam as a porter and bodyguard for a research expedition to the Meseta settlement located a few days' travel from Echo. Sam is thrilled to have a pretense to escape the town, although Madam Dora cautions him against trusting Cliff too readily. Sam makes a plan to sneak away from Cliff at some point in order to escape punishment, and holds onto this notion even as he and Cliff, and eventually Murdoch, gradually grow closer during their journey. Before he leaves, Sam bids a reluctant, guilty farewell to Cynthia, and although he promises to return he can tell that she seems to know that this is a lie.

As Cliff leads Sam to his apartment, he explains that he has made the acquaintance of a local wilderness guide, Jebediah Coles, who will lead the expedition and use his wagon and donkeys to help transport their supplies. Cliff and Jeb met at The Stag, a relatively safe meeting place for Echo's gay men, and although Sam is shocked to hear that Cliff has been expressing his sexuality publicly again so soon after the incident at The Hip, Cliff is thrilled to have found another companion for the journey who is 'just like them.'

The two then overhear William questioning Reed about Huxley Greene's disappearance. Sam tries to hide from Will, but the sheriff catches his scent. Upon learning of their plan to leave town, Will advises against trading Echo for the dangerous wilderness, where he cannot guarantee their safety. He also demeans Cliff, even going so far as to call him a slur for his sexuality. Sam stays silent throughout the confrontation, then escorts an outraged Cliff away when Will asks him to. In Cliff's apartment, Sam notices that the couch smells like fox and wonders about the relationship between Cliff and Murdoch. Cliff prepares tea for Sam, and then declines Sam's intimate advances by assuring him that he hasn't been hired for purely sexual reasons, but rather because Cliff believes they share a mutual respect. The two then dance together at Cliff's insistence.

Before dawn, Sam and Cliff meet up with Jebediah and prepare to depart. Sam realizes that Murdoch will also be coming along as Cliff's photographer, and worries that the fox's presence could complicate his escape plan. If Sam raises objections to Murdoch joining the group he is overruled, but Sam and Murdoch consequently become much more suspicious of one another during the early parts of the journey. If Sam suppresses his complaint, Murdoch confirms that he and Cliff had sex the previous day, and Sam's relationship with Murdoch is more honest and less guarded from the outset.

#### Chapter 2

As the party leaves Echo, Sam is thrilled but feels guilty about leaving Nik behind, especially because of what James Hendricks could do to him in retaliation. While they travel, Cliff and Murdoch get Sam to open up about his past, but he is reluctant to speak about himself and feels overly scrutinized by Cliff's curiosity and Murdoch's cleverness.

At one point, as if sensing a predator nearby, the donkeys suddenly break into a sudden run and Jeb has to halt them, and Sam and Jeb then share a moment alone together while checking on the wagon's brakes. Jeb is curious as to why Sam doesn't seem to have any trade skills despite being built like a handyman, but Sam is unwilling to reveal anything about his profession. During the stop Murdoch photographs Cliff shirtless and offers to do the same for Sam, but Sam refuses, fearing that any evidence left behind could endanger him.

The group pauses at Echo Canyon to rest, and Sam asks Jeb, who seems to know about local folklore, about the reeking red-eyed monster from his bedroom, but Jeb has heard of no such thing. Murdoch steps away to a secluded cliffside to take some pictures, and if Sam initially tried to stop Murdoch from coming along, then he is seized by an impulse to push him off the cliff edge. Sam is able to stop himself and feels guilty and shaken afterward, as if there were a voice in his head directing him toward violence. Murdoch presses Sam about his panicked behavior at the store days before, but Sam remains unable to come clean about Jack. Murdoch promises Sam that he is among trustworthy companions, and if Sam chose not to speak out against Murdoch then the fox will outright propose a threesome with Cliff. Once alone, Sam shouts into the canyon to test the echo and is nearly pushed from the precipice by a sudden gust of wind, and hears a sound like garbled growling rise out of the chasm. Cliff arrives sometime after and reveals that Sam has been gone much longer than he realized.

That evening, the party makes camp in a forested area. Sam plans to sneak away in the night, but Cliff decides to stay up and stargaze with him after Jeb and Murdoch go to bed. Cliff laments not being able to love whoever he wants, even on the frontier, and he and Sam bond over the fact that neither of them have had many chances to be genuine with others. Sam comes clean about his plan to flee Echo, although he does not reveal his crime, but promises Cliff that he will not leave the group until they have made it to the Meseta settlement.

Suddenly, the group hears something predatory in the forest, and Jeb tells them to douse the campfire. Through the smoke and darkness, Sam glimpses red eyes and smells the familiar scent of the gray-furred monster from his room. He tries to defend the others from the beast by putting himself in its path, but is knocked to the ground and can only watch as something beheads one of Jeb's donkeys. Sam falls unconscious, and dreams of being hanged as a murderer while the voices of his friends jeer at him. This dream, which seems to represent both Sam's guilt about fleeing justice and the remorse he feels over leaving several of his friends behind in Echo, continues to haunt his mind even after he awakens.

After the attack, the group finds most of their supplies destroyed. Jeb points out that the beast did not behave like a hungry predator, since it left the dead donkey behind without eating any of it, and Cliff wonders if it was somehow trying to frighten them. They try to make their way out of the forest, but seem mysteriously unable to make any progress. Jeb storms off after an argument with Cliff about their navigational difficulties, and Murdoch proposes that the rest of the group should make an effort to be more honest with each other, in order to better assure their mutual survival. If Sam and Murdoch are still wary about one another, Sam may opt to lower his guard and explain to Murdoch his intention not to return to Echo, although he does not specify why. In response to Sam's honesty, Murdoch confesses in turn that he is dependent on a stash of opium that he is steadily depleting.

Jeb returns with news that he has smelled a campfire close by, and Sam and the others come across a party of Meseta travelers, including Avery and two fishermen named Yiska and Tsela. They recount being attacked in the night by the same monster, which dragged their companion Shilah off into the forest. Sam is nervous around Avery and worries he will mention details about Sam's prior head injury that could link him to Jack's death, but Avery treats Sam's wounds without incident, and even invites Sam and his companions back to his parents' nearby hogan to recover.

At the hogan, Sam is very curious to learn about the Meseta tribe's apparent unwillingness to visit or speak about Echo, and tries to ask Avery's father Gad for more information about the taboo. Gad is reluctant, telling Sam that knowing as little as possible about evil things is a form of protection, but he eventually brings out an old map that documents generations of successive Meseta campsites that have been established in the region. Sam is horrified to discover that the thousands of marks on the map circumscribe an exclusion zone around Echo that is nearly perfectly circular.

Sam eats dinner with Avery, who opens up about the cultural losses that his people have suffered. To replace Sam's bloodied clothes, Avery gives him a pair of old overalls. That night Sam again decides to try and escape, and can choose to steal the Meseta map for help navigating the region. Whatever he decides, Cliff catches him in the act of sneaking out. Sam breaks down and confesses to Jack's murder to justify his desperate desire not to return to Echo. Cliff is understanding and reassuring, and Sam kisses him for the first time not as an escort but as a lover. Cliff also says he will not judge Sam if he decides to steal the map, and gives him another opportunity to reconsider his options. Sam is surprised that Cliff is unbothered by the theft, since stealing the map would represent a cultural loss for Avery's family, but does not press him about it.

The next day, during the trek back to their previous campsite to salvage some supplies, the forest seems to once again redirect the party's path. Murdoch wonders if the place has something to show them, and before long they stumble upon a dilapidated cabin. Sam can either choose to wait outside with Avery and Jeb while Cliff leads Murdoch inside, in which case he finds a pipe engraved with JB in the remains of an old bonfire, or he can venture in as well, in which case he encounters an unnerving vision of what appears to be a young fox. The fox speaks to Sam, and even though he seems to be addressing someone else who is not there, Sam can feel the fear and desperation behind the fox's flirtatious behavior. When the fox begins undressing while pleading with him, Sam runs away in terror and finds Cliff and Murdoch outside.

Back at the site of the attack, the group finds the mangled remains of Jeb's donkey and Avery remarks that it looks more like a ritualistic slaughter than the work of something killing to eat. When Jeb insists that the donkey be buried, Sam steps up to help, and Jeb calls him by his name for the first time. As they dig, Jeb explains that he inherited the donkeys from his late boyfriend, who died of tuberculosis.

The group moves on and makes camp at a lively outpost near a hot spring, where they recuperate with other travelers. Sam and Cliff, and possibly Murdoch as well if Sam agrees to it, sneak off to have sex at the spring. Afterward, they swap stories around the campfire with a fellow traveler named Ed, who shares his belief that the land around Echo is cursed, and that no one was ever supposed to live there. Murdoch then performs a song while Cliff and Sam dance together around the campfire. Sam is unsure about whether he should still try to make an escape, but the companionship soothes him and in the morning Cliff observes that Sam looks less haggard than he ever has before.

#### Chapter 3

When the group arrives at last at the Meseta settlement, Sam departs with Murdoch to check into the local inn. The hotel clerk's records do not show a reservation under Cliff's name, however, so without the funds to make the payment themselves Sam and Murdoch are barred from their room. Murdoch then produces a document with a strange name on it, Cornelis van Houwelinck, which the clerk *does* recognize, and the two are allowed to proceed. Once upstairs, Murdoch explains to Sam that Cliff has been using an alias, although neither of them find it necessarily suspicious.

Cliff returns not long after, and reiterates his hope that Sam will return with them to Echo, but Sam is resolute about escaping and makes a plan to first find someone in the settlement who he can travel with to a town that has a train station. Jeb returns and is disheartened to learn that Sam will be departing, then quickly storms out after Cliff tries to blame him for getting their group lost in the woods. In the aftermath of the argument Sam and Murdoch try to console Cliff, but also point out that the seemingly supernatural setbacks they faced were not Jeb's fault.

Sam sets out to find a traveling companion and ends up at a ceremonial procession on the outskirts of the settlement, where he spots Tsela, Yiska, and Cliff. He learns from Tsela that the ritual is a memorial for Shilah, the other fisherman who was dragged off by the monster in the forest. Sam is baffled to learn that Shilah's possessions will be buried, and Tsela tersely explains that it ensures his ghost will not want to return to claim his things. When Tsela disparages Christianity, characterizing it as a belief system obsessed with establishing hierarchies of power over the natural world, Sam bristles at the implication that Meseta spirituality is inherently superior, and resents Tsela's readiness to lump Sam's beliefs in with the worst, most rigid parts of Christian dogma just because he is an outsider.

Sam smokes to calm down, and Tsela agrees to light his cigarette for him. The vehemence with which Tsela speaks about protecting Meseta ways of life reminds Sam of Cynthia, and he asks if he knows her. Tsela explains that Cynthia is his cousin, although they have not spoken since her family left the reservation years before. Sam then offers to pay Tsela for an escort to Providence, a nearby town with a railroad, but Tsela is not interested in paper money. Instead, Sam manages to entice him by promising a phone call with Cynthia once they reach their destination, and they shake hands.

Suddenly, a startled bray and the sound of something thrashing catches their attention. Tsela confirms that there is a ranch nearby, and upon investigating the two find the cold corpse of a mule that must have been attacked previously. Tsela speculates that another animal must have been spooked upon discovering the sight, and Sam is relieved that they are not in immediate danger. Just then, however, Sam feels a huge hand caress his lower leg, before gripping him tightly and pulling him off his feet. Sam is dragged on his back through the woods at a high speed while monstrous claws dig into his leg. After some time, the grip suddenly releases him, and he hears whatever attacked him breathing nearby. Sam can tell that the monster wants him to go back to town, but his leg is injured so badly that he can only crawl as its long tongue begins to lap at his neck.

Tsela appears and fires his rifle at the creature, which seems to drive it off. Tsela leads Sam back through the forest while the sound of breathing pursues them, and they take refuge inside Tsela's cabin. Sam's leg is not broken or bleeding but he is nonetheless unable to walk, and he is frustrated that his escape has been hampered. Tsela observes that something vengeful seems to be following Sam, and resolves to put together a posse to hunt down the monster so it stops attacking the settlement, much to Sam's incredulity. Something thumps against the door while speaking in a voice that sounds like an approximation of Yiska's, then sniffs and scrapes at the cabin window before seemingly leaving. Tsela instructs Sam to stay quiet, stay inside, and to not answer the door under any circumstances.

Sam sleeps fitfully, and sees that his ankle has developed a welt that resembles an insect bite. He awakens during the night and speaks with Tsela, only to quickly become perturbed by the odd tone of their conversation and the distant, glassy look in Tsela's eyes. This may indicate the presence of John Begay, Tsela's ancestor; Sam does not make this connection, but realizes that whatever he is speaking to is clearly not Tsela. The presence recognizes Sam, and complains that he is always calling things unfair whenever they see each other, despite Sam's confusion at this apparent familiarity. It also seems to resent that, unlike itself, Sam has been given a wealth of choices but so often chooses poorly. It mentions that there is something already following Sam, although 'he' is 'too shy' to speak.

If Sam entered the cabin earlier in the route and saw the vision of John, the thing in Tsela sternly calls him a pervert for putting his mind and body at the mercy of others, remarking that he is all too familiar with the kind of person Sam is. If Sam found the pipe instead, it reflects on the nature of mortality and says they must enjoy themselves while they can. With some exasperation at the fact that Sam is 'not very smart yet,' it explains that it had no choice in appearing and has simply come to 'ride the wave,' although it muses hopefully that things may be different this time. After the presence departs Tsela becomes brusque once more and shows no memory of the conversation, much to Sam's frustration, and they both go back to sleep.

In the morning, Sam is eager to get going but quickly realizes that he cannot walk on his injured leg. Tsela serves him breakfast, then leaves to find Avery. If Sam has stolen the map, he takes a moment to ensure that it is still with him and undamaged. Avery pronounces Sam's leg sprained and dresses it. Tsela mentions that he and Yiska plan to travel to Camp Rosa in two days and offers Sam a ride in their cart since he cannot walk.

Avery supports Sam and leads him outside to find a walking stick. He mentions that Cliff, Murdoch, and Jeb were looking for Sam the night before, and advises him to warn his companions when he goes off by himself. Avery hopes to return to Echo as soon as possible, and Sam keeps quiet about the fact that he himself has no intention of ever going back. If Sam took the map, he reflects once more on the fact that Avery could potentially connect him to Jack's death and now also knows where he plans to go next. He considers how much easier things would be for him if Avery was delayed in returning to Echo or never made it back at all.

Sam reconnects with Murdoch and Jeb back at the inn, and tells an obvious lie about the cause of his injury. He learns that Murdoch has further smoothed things over between Jeb and Cliff. If Sam has decided to trust him, then Murdoch asks Jeb to step out for a moment and reveals to Sam that one of the photos he took during their trek shows a four-legged beast with a contorted face looming behind Cliff. The longer Sam looks at the picture, the more he can almost smell the corpse of Jeb's donkey. Hoping to dispel Sam's continued insistence on leaving as soon as possible, Murdoch reiterates his conviction that there is safety in numbers. This leads them to realize that Cliff left on his own the previous night and never returned, and they decide to go find him. If Sam has refrained from trusting Murdoch, however, then instead a different conversation plays out during which Sam confesses the nature of his profession to Jeb, flustering him noticeably. Jeb then accompanies Sam and Murdoch as they look for Cliff.

After spending much of the day searching, Sam and Murdoch finally find Cliff locked inside a sweltering shed near the settlement's apiary; he is badly dehydrated and stinking from stress and heat exhaustion. They also find a torn scrap of Caldwell's cassock nearby, but Sam appears unconcerned with what it implies about the reverend's fate. Using Murdoch for support, Sam carries Cliff back to the hotel to recover. If Sam and Cliff have both previously opted to express interest in a relationship with Murdoch, then Sam and Murdoch bathe Cliff and the three share a playful moment.

Cliff recounts watching something kill Caldwell, and presumes it was the same monster that attacked them in the forest. Jeb returns with news that the Meseta caught a beast in the act of goring Caldwell the night before and killed it, although Sam and the others are incredulous when he explains that it was just a large wild hog. Murdoch goes with Jeb to see for himself, and Cliff follows them after kissing Sam to thank him. Once alone, if Sam has the map he takes a moment to check the location of Camp Rosa on it before departing. Each time Sam consults the map the circle surrounding Echo subtly expands, but he does not seem to notice this.

When he sees the massive boar lying dead next to Caldwell's body, Sam considers that it might really have been the thing pursuing them. He is then startled to realize that the armed guards that are usually so ubiquitous in the settlement are nowhere to be seen. Just then, an automobile arrives and James Hendricks steps out. He is accompanied by Will, who is shocked to see Sam and asks what he is doing at the reservation.

### Murdoch's Route

#### Chapter 1

In his bedroom with Murdoch, Samuel recalls how he fell for Jack and resolves not to trust again too quickly. After Murdoch's camera brushes Sam's stomach and startles him, Sam gazes into the aperture and feels crawling on his skin, then looks at his hand and sees a blond tarantula in its place. He yowls in panic, before realizing he is imagining things. The two then have sex, taking turns pleasuring each other. Ultimately, Sam climaxes first and Murdoch wins their bet, causing Sam to feel like he's lost his only chance to get out of Echo. The two sleep beside each other, and in the morning Sam wakes first. In an attempt to destroy the potentially incriminating pictures that Murdoch took of his crime scene in the mine, Sam intentionally exposes the film in Murdoch's camera to light.

Murdoch later calls off the bet and admits he knows Sam cannot pay because he looked in Sam's wallet while he slept. Sam becomes intensely afraid of Murdoch's snooping and even considers snapping his neck, but stops himself. When Murdoch offers Sam a job at the general store owned by the Byrnes family so he can make some extra income, Sam is elated and thanks God for the opportunity, but is ashamed for his violent impulse.

The next morning, Sam arrives at the store and meets Red, Murdoch's father, who Murdoch warns is prone to rapid changes in mood. Sam watches Murdoch develop the pictures from the mine in his darkroom, and learns to his horror that Murdoch has taken doubles of every shot, including the only one that Sam managed to ruin. Afterward, when Ralph recognizes Sam as a prostitute and rejects the idea of hiring him because of the potential exposure and reputational ruin it could mean for Murdoch, Sam asserts that he can handle both jobs with discretion.

Sam agrees to help Murdoch prepare for picture day at Echo School, and once there they split up to distribute sign-up forms. Sam meets Murdoch's sisters Holly and Dahlia, who both work at the school. Dahlia asks him to fetch a book for her and when a strange typewritten poem, actually a coded message, falls out, Dahlia asks Sam to keep it. Sam also meets Gretchen, Murdoch's mother and the headmistress of the school, who treats him dismissively but approves of his capacity for manual labor.

Sam and Murdoch then return to the darkroom so they can enlarge the pictures they developed that morning. In the overexposed negative that Sam tried to sabotage, Murdoch observes some detail and manages to reveal an image of what looks to Sam like the entrance to the mines. Sam notices a pattern of milky white eyes in the photo and feels suddenly disoriented, and Murdoch says he never took the picture Sam claims to be seeing. That night Sam takes a client, unaware of the fact that he is Jim Sterling, Holly's fiancé and Murdoch's soon-to-be brother-in-law.

#### Chapter 2

The next day, Sam peruses a wall in the store dedicated to exhibiting sample photographs and picks up one that shows a valley landscape. Immediately, several of the portraits on the wall become distorted and a strange voice greets him. Red appears, behaving oddly, and explains that the valley in the picture Sam is holding is said to be home to an enormous sluglike beast that eats campers. Red then directs Sam to the school, where Murdoch is conducting Picture Day.

In the schoolyard, Sam gets directions to Murdoch from Blithe, who unsettles him by referring to him as if he is traveling with another person. After working for hours in the auditorium, Sam goes out to the picnic and is stunned to recognize Jim, who is accompanying Holly. He excuses himself in a panic, then back inside he watches in amusement as Cliff tries to coax Murdoch into accompanying him on an expedition, only to be rudely shut down by Ralph. Ralph then reiterates to Sam that he is worried about the scandal that a gay prostitute's association with the Byrnes family could cause, which Sam rebuts by reminding him that Murdoch is often an indiscreet flirt himself.

Several times Sam tries to talk to Murdoch about the strange picture they developed, but the chance doesn't arise until the end of the day when they return to the darkroom. He looks at the picture again at Murdoch's urging, and says the eyes in it look like the eyes of God or the devil. Murdoch explains that photographs taken in Echo can change depending on the mental state of the viewer, and reveals that the day before he saw his dead brother Seamus in the picture. Sam hears a voice in the darkroom that says it 'will be God' for him, and calls itself the 'sacred, ugly truth.' It tells Sam to kill Murdoch and save himself, and Sam begins crying and crumples to the floor. Murdoch tears up the photo and the voice stops.

Sam and Murdoch then leave to take the remaining crime scene photos to Will. As Murdoch hands off the evidence to the sheriff, Sam feels a complex mix of guilt and relief. William mentions that he has seen Nik several times around town, and Sam wonders why Nik hasn't visited him since the night of the riot.

Back in the store, Sam asks to be taught how to protect himself against Echo's paranormal, perception-altering influence. Murdoch offers to take Sam to a secluded spot to show him more; Sam warily insists that they leave behind a note in case anything happens, then follows Murdoch and Ralph to a cave near Lake Emma. To demonstrate how Echo can use a person's distress to warp their senses, Murdoch uses the picture showing the valley that is, according to Red, home to a massive monster. Ralph asks Sam to think of his worst memory, and upon recalling Jack's dead eyes Sam suddenly sees the monster appear in the photo. Ralph and Murdoch teach Sam that they often bolster their minds against Echo's baleful power using drugs, although the high from sexual activity can be just as potent.

Sam smokes some weed and mentions he heard a voice in the darkroom, which neither Murdoch nor Ralph have ever experienced before. It returns to mock Sam, and claims that it is 'coming.' The three are interrupted by noises from outside, and witness a figure with wrappings over its face seemingly dumping a person in a sack into the lake, then flee after smelling the weed from the cave. Sam follows Ralph and Murdoch as they run off in the other direction, passing two strange girls in white who disappear when he looks back. Sam then hears a sneeze from behind a rock and grabs Blithe, surprising them both. She pulls a knife on Sam before recognizing him, and explains she is out searching for Melissa, her friend who has gone missing. Before the adults can decide what to do with her she flees by scaling a cliff.

At Murdoch and Ralph's home Sam realizes he can still see the monster in the photograph. He has sex with Murdoch, partly to put his theories to the test, and when he looks at the picture again afterward it has indeed reverted to normal. He stays the night, and Murdoch is at church when Sam awakens in the morning. Sam talks with Ralph about what it would take to get Murdoch to leave Echo and his family's expectations behind, and the importance of having an escape plan for their future.

Sam then follows Murdoch to the Byrnes' usual Sunday luncheon at the Hip. Sam agrees to come to Dahlia's astronomy club meeting that night, with the ulterior motive of determining if Dahlia knows anything about the true nature of Echo that Murdoch and Ralph have shown him. In the observatory, Dahlia gives him another cryptic clue concealing a hidden message. Blithe arrives, and Sam walks with her out of the building. Sam realizes that she has somehow found the double eagle coins that he lost in the mines on the night he killed Jack, and Blithe uses them to employ him to help her find Melissa.

The next day during work, Sam tells Murdoch about Dahlia's messages and is invited to dinner at the Byrnes residence by Holly. In the afternoon, Sam meets Blithe at their prearranged spot in a graveyard near the train tracks. He follows Blithe into a mausoleum and learns about the vast interconnected network of old mining tunnels under Echo that she and Melissa have discovered and mapped. Blithe reveals that in addition to Melissa several other children from Echo School have gone missing recently, including a girl named Mary Applegate.

Dinner with the Byrnes family is tense, and made much more awkward for Sam by the presence of Jim. Alfred lectures Sam in the parlor about the importance of taking risks in life, and later Gretchen insists that Sam sits at the head of the table in spite of his protests. She volunteers him and Murdoch to serve as ushers at Holly and Jim's wedding, over Murdoch's objections, and Jim offers to take the two to a tailor to be fitted for appropriate outfits the next day. Sam then returns to The Hip for the night.

Sam notices Murdoch acting disengaged and distant as they walk to the tailor the following day. Once Jim departs, Murdoch admits that Jim is having sex with him as well, and that Holly has arranged it to keep Jim content until the upcoming marriage. Sam is appalled when Murdoch explains that he is willing to subject himself to such a situation in exchange for his family's stability. Murdoch then also discloses that he heard Nik implicating Sam in Jack's murder to the sheriff, and it dawns on Sam why Nik has been avoiding him, but Sam refuses to outright confess his guilt. The voice in Sam's head warns him that Murdoch's promises to keep his crime a secret are meaningless, and again encourages him to silence Murdoch forever. Sam tells it to shut up, and tells Murdoch he looks 'just fine' in his suit. Sam then enters the pawn shop and confronts Jim about pressuring Murdoch into sex, but Jim's nonchalance and his seemingly sincere belief that Murdoch is the one initiating their trysts, causes Sam to reconsider his approach.

Sam finds a suspicious William waiting for him at the general store. He manages to dodge the sheriff's questions about his whereabouts on the night of Jack's death by feigning amnesia as a result of his head injury, but inadvertently places more suspicion on Nik in the process. He is somewhat surprised to find that Murdoch helps cover for him.

Reluctantly, Sam returns to the darkroom with Murdoch, who slyly admits he may have sabotaged some of the crime scene photos. Sam examines a photo showing Murdoch, Ralph, and Seamus fishing together, which subtly shifts as he holds it, while Murdoch tells him how Seamus died, including the gaps in his memory about the events of that day. Afterward, Sam gets Murdoch to admit to the possibility that his controlling family is bad for him.

Sam returns to the Hip and asks Cynthia to hem his suit for the wedding. He muses to her that the Byrnes family makes him feel constantly tested, but realizes he cannot quit his job and abandon Murdoch to them. That night, Sam and Blithe have a shared dream from Melissa's perspective, showing events from days previously and culminating in Melissa finding the body of Mary in the mines before being cornered herself by a misshapen, spider-like monster. Sam immediately begins to forget the dream upon waking, but feels a strange familiarity towards the monster.

#### Chapter 3

After arriving at the Byrnes residence for Jim's bachelor party, Sam sits with Gretchen and manages to mostly deflect her inquiries into his life. Jim, along with two of his friends from the city named Neil and Reubin, come to the door but Gretchen refuses to let them inside, insisting that Jim seeing the bride before the wedding would be bad luck. Gretchen sends Sam to get Murdoch, and with Dahlia's help Sam finds him and Holly talking in the rose garden.

Based on a cryptic instruction from Dahlia, Sam waits and listens to Murdoch and Holly's conversation before announcing his presence. He overhears that Holly fully intends to relocate with Jim to the city after their wedding, in the hopes that she can then convince Gretchen to move there as well so that the whole Byrnes family can get away from Echo. Sam cuts in to relay the news that Jim has arrived, and then at Gretchen's insistence Sam, Murdoch, and Ralph depart for the Hip to keep Jim and his friends entertained and away from Holly.

Sam mostly stays silent in the company of Jim's raucous friends, and feels intimidated by their high-society professions. In turn, Jim, Reubin, and Neil, largely ignore them, and Sam notices with sympathy that Murdoch seems hurt by this, especially when the conversation touches upon his interests.

Cynthia is at the Hip waiting tables, and after seating the other men she pulls Sam into a washroom to privately inform him that he is booked that night for four men at once. Since the booking includes Murdoch, Sam realizes that they will both be expected to pleasure Jim and his friends, and worries how Murdoch will fare. Sam explains to Cynthia that one of the men may not want to be involved, and decides to explain the situation to Murdoch and let him decide how to proceed. Back at the table, Sam watches as the ribald banter between Jim and his friends causes Murdoch to anxiously realize what exactly is in store for him. Murdoch excuses himself, and Sam offers that they go up to his room.

Murdoch insists that his arrangement with Jim is only a temporary deal until he can get out of Echo, which reminds Sam of the kinds of things he tells himself. To cope with being expected to pleasure Jim and his friends, Sam encourages Murdoch to use the same transactional mindset he himself does while servicing clients. He tells Murdoch that what he is doing for Jim and Holly is undeniably a form of prostitution, but Murdoch seems to find some clarity in the honesty of that fact, and Sam tells him he would make a good whore.

Murdoch asks for a real kiss, just for him, and Sam wavers, not wanting to do it out of pity. Sam says outright that he knows Murdoch is aware of his crime, and warns him not to get attached because it is only a matter of time before the law catches up. Murdoch proposes that Sam leave town with him, under the cover of being a loyal employee, when Jim helps to get the Byrnes family out of Echo after the wedding. Sam defers the kiss, and says that if he decides to do it, it will be a surprise. The two then decide to sneak out of the party, and Sam enlists Cynthia's help to devise a distraction to cover their exit. Aided by Ralph, who stumbles onto the scheme, Cynthia and Murdoch organize an impromptu musical number on the Hip's stage and the crowd is so entranced that Sam and Murdoch are able to slip outside. Once alone the two share a dance, culminating in Sam giving Murdoch his kiss that cements a romantic relationship between the two.

Suddenly, Sam realizes he has long since missed his appointment to meet up with Blithe, and hurries with Murdoch back to her previous rendezvous spot in the cemetery. Blithe is nowhere to be seen, but Dahlia and Cliff are there examining a section of unmarked gravestones. As Sam and Murdoch watch from afar, Cliff inspects a grave that seems to belong to a member of the Peshlekai family, then bids farewell to Dahlia so that he can catch a train out of Echo. Dahlia then notices Sam and Murdoch and commiserates with Murdoch about Holly's odd recent behavior, remarking that she recently received an odd sealed envelope from her sister but burned it without opening it. As she leaves, Dahlia points out a headstone engraved only with the name "Scholl" and enigmatically recommends that they pay their respects.

Murdoch then surprises Sam by expressing his readiness to return to Jim and the others at the Hip. He asserts that he wants to go through the same things that Sam does, and Sam promises to make it as easy for him as he can. Cynthia provides water for the two to wash up, and ushers Jim and his friends up to Sam's bedroom. Presumably to keep Murdoch from getting overwhelmed, Sam steps in to satisfy Reubin and Neil, leaving Murdoch to service Jim. Sam later remarks that he was impressed by Murdoch's skill, and was encouraged to try harder while watching him.

Murdoch asks Sam to walk him home, and they are surprised to find Holly waiting for them outside the Byrnes residence. Jim joins them, and expresses his suspicion that Holly has been coercing Murdoch into having sex with him. Holly is evasive and Murdoch desperately attempts to defuse the mounting tension by taking the blame for the entire situation. Sam tries to speak up and tell the truth on Murdoch's behalf, but Holly cuts him off dismissively. Murdoch snaps at his sister in response to this, sounding angrier than Sam has ever heard him before, and Holly pretends to cry. Murdoch is frozen with shame, but Sam sees through her ruse and tells Jim outright that Murdoch has indeed been forced into their trysts.

Jim is shocked and tries to call off the wedding, much to Holly's horror, and as their argument escalates Sam detects a heavy, ozone-like smell in the air. Holly reveals that as a backup plan she has already sent explicit photographs of Murdoch and Jim to three informants, who will make them public if Jim tries to back out of the marriage. Holly assures Murdoch that he will be protected by Gretchen's influence no matter what happens and asks him to trust her, but Sam, Murdoch, and Jim alike are appalled by the lengths she is apparently willing to go to secure her family's escape from Echo.

Suddenly, Holly is struck in the arm by a rock thrown from the direction of the Byrnes house and recoils in pain. Sam follows its trajectory and sees two bespectacled figures watching from an upstairs window. Ralph arrives just then and Holly assumes he is to blame; he denies it, but to Sam's confusion he willfully taunts Holly into slapping him anyway and insinuates that there are plenty of accusations *he* could level at her in response. Sam points out that the conversation is being observed by directing them to where the rock really came from, and Dahlia appears in the window to scold the group for waking up Grandma Rowan, who is visiting for the wedding. Holly accuses her of throwing the stone and she airily denies it, while also suggesting that they turn it over, before shutting the window. Later, Murdoch examines the stone and appears to notice a message in Morse code etched onto it.

Holly reveals that she gave blackmail envelopes to Dahlia, Grandma Rowan, and her friend Porter Moore; Sam reflects that if Dahlia burned the letter immediately, the bond between the sisters must not be as good as he originally thought. As Jim grows angrier, Sam decides that he does not really care about how the troubled couple resolves their argument and focuses instead on the fact that Murdoch being outed would make their newfound relationship much more difficult. Although he acknowledges that Murdoch has very little choice in the matter, Sam realizes that should the marriage occur exactly according to Holly's machinations, it would reinforce the toxic dynamic that both siblings have become complicit in and embolden her to continue using Murdoch for her own means in the future.

This causes Sam to conclude that the actual conditions of the marriage are not truly his or Murdoch's problem so long as the ceremony takes place publicly, and so he suggests that Holly and Jim proceed with the wedding but stop short of actually officiating the union, and then pretend outwardly to be married while leading mostly separate lives. Although Jim initially balks at the suggestion of conceding anything to Holly at all, Sam skillfully cajoles him by targeting his genuine affection for Murdoch, suggesting he simply do the minimum to meet Holly's demands rather than risk losing everything, including his relationship with Murdoch, by gambling with his reputation. With the assurance that Jim will pay to keep her comfortable, Holly acquiesces as well, while looking almost impressed by Sam's maneuvering, and the situation is temporarily resolved at last.

After Jim departs, Ralph confuses Sam by abruptly confronting Holly about her whereabouts on the day of Seamus' death, in a continuation of the accusation he alluded to previously. She responds vaguely and angrily, admitting only that she was off with her friends and had a wonderful time, and then goes inside. Ralph explains to Sam that there is an apparent contradiction in Holly's story: despite previously claiming to have been on the beach of Lake Emma all day, Holly insists she did not actually witness the accident directly. Ralph declares that this is impossible, given that the shore provides a clear line of sight to the paddleboat Seamus fell from, and insists that Holly's determination to obscure her whereabouts on such a crucial day, even if the truth might embarrass her, is deeply strange.

Sam considers going back to the Hip but decides Murdoch needs company. On the walk back to the apartment Sam considers the startling intensity of Ralph and Holly's mutual dislike, and concludes that neither is someone he ever wants to cross.

In bed, Sam is surprised to hear Murdoch admit that he does not actually hate Jim, despite how grating his behavior becomes around his rich friends, and listens to him describe how the emerging middle class is making the country's traditional elites feel insecure. Sam states frankly that he does not like or trust Holly, and proposes that they attempt to reclaim the two remaining blackmail envelopes, as well as the original photo negatives still in her possession. Murdoch offers to ask his grandmother about hers the next morning but Sam volunteers to go instead, fearing that Murdoch might be manipulated or overruled by yet another family member.

Neither knows the other informant, Porter, but Murdoch speculates he is one of the men in the historical society interested in the occult and resolves to get in touch with him. The two then discuss the supernatural in Echo once again, and Murdoch reveals that he has learned through his experimentation that any photo copied enough times will always begin to show inexplicable distortions.

Sam then tells Murdoch he should use Jim's affection for him to his advantage if it becomes necessary. In response, Murdoch affirms that he cares for Sam much more than Jim. They share a kiss and a romantic moment before falling asleep.

In the morning, Sam is left alone with Ralph after Murdoch rushes off early to ensure that wedding preparations are going according to schedule. Ralph, having eavesdropped on the pair's conversation the previous night, is angry at Sam for encouraging Murdoch to manipulate Jim. He reminds Sam that their goal is to help Murdoch establish boundaries and ultimately free him from his situation, not reframe his family's mutual coercion as useful to him. Ralph also insists that someone should have called Holly's bluff the night before, since the pictures actually becoming public would likely ruin her reputation as well.

As Sam becomes increasingly frustrated by the patronizing treatment, Ralph gives him an ultimatum: one more day to help Murdoch definitively stand up against his mother and sister, or else Ralph implies that he will do something drastic to accelerate the 'blowup' he believes the Byrnes family is due for. Sam tries to use his size to intimidate Ralph during the confrontation, but it does not work and he storms out of the apartment in anger, forgetting his formalwear for the wedding in the process.

At the Byrnes house, Sam meets Grandma Rowan face to face. He is initially unsure what to make of her grandiose presence and feels that being around her is like being in a church. Grandma Rowan shares her conviction that the collective will of the people living in a place constitute that place's soul, and explains that she believes the Echo itself is doomed because its community has shallow roots and consequently its 'soil' is bad.

Sam is somewhat embarrassed when Grandma Rowan gleans that he is a relatively recent newcomer to Echo and immediately guesses the nature of his career, but decides she is his favorite of Murdoch's relatives upon hearing that in the Rowan family, the groom traditionally provides silver to make a coin for his bride because 'men who won't pay' are not to be trusted. After confirming that she learned of Holly's blackmail plot from the previous night's argument, Grandma Rowan expresses distaste for her family's schemes and willingly hands over her copy of the photos unprompted, much to Sam's pleasant surprise.

With no one else home, Sam realizes he has the opportunity to search Holly's bedroom for the negatives. Grandma Rowan gives him her permission and directs him upstairs. While ultimately unsuccessful, Sam does find a box of smooth round crystals under Holly's bed and an old rolled-up carpet or blanket in her closet that is stained with a large amount of what seems to be blood. Sam decides he does not think Holly could be a killer, and struggles to understand why she would have such a thing.

Upon hearing Red arrive, Sam manages to hastily replace the carpet and sneak back downstairs, where Grandma Rowan covers for him. Red then conscripts Sam into helping him search the Byrnes basement for a silverware set for the wedding. While they look around, Sam is disturbed both by the cramped and dingy space and by Red's odd comments and vacant behavior. He is particularly alarmed to witness Red experience a dissociative episode during which he clutches an old fishing rod and covers his head with a sheet, while apparently believing he is conversing with Seamus. When Sam finds the silverware and tries to get Red's attention by pulling the sheet off of him, Red looks back at him with intense rage, but it only lasts for a moment. Sam is relieved to leave the basement to bring the silverware to the church for the wedding.

Sam is surprised to find Cynthia present at the ceremony, and she explains that the Hip has been asked to cater. He also learns from her that Gretchen invited the town's entire suffragette party, and much to Cynthia's exasperation, he then embarrasses himself by asking if the suffragettes are the group that hates men. She scolds him, and Sam excuses himself to find Murdoch, who is sharing a tense, stony silence with Holly and Jim near the front of the church.

Murdoch walks Sam to the bathroom so they can get ready, and surprises him with a kiss once they are alone. Murdoch explains that in order to face the wedding he needs the reminder that he is no longer single, then gives Sam the suit Ralph has brought for him from the apartment. After he tenderly washes Sam, Murdoch reminds him they will have to maintain a "professional distance" during the ceremony but urges him to make the best of the day, then leaves him with a final hug.

Upon exiting the bathroom himself, Sam is confronted by Holly. To get him to quit his job and remove himself from her brother's life immediately, she offers him a blank check. Sam writes an outrageous figure and makes it clear that he is loyal to Murdoch for reasons beyond money. Holly seems to begrudgingly accept their relationship, although she warns Sam not to interfere with her own plans to get the family out of town. Sam is surprised to hear the conviction with which Holly foretells an impending supernatural event that will threaten Echo; she refers to it as an escalating "act of Providence" that she does not wish to be present for and compares the town to Sodom and Gomorrah. He is further perplexed by Holly's assertion that Ralph is cultivating Murdoch's drug dependency in order to keep him in Echo, directly contradicting Ralph's belief that Holly is the one keeping Murdoch trapped. Sam again wonders just how deep the bad blood between them runs.

After Holly excuses herself, Sam realizes that Jim has overheard their conversation and discusses Holly's theories with him; Jim doesn't know what to make of her religious convictions, but admits that the Echo's mines are unusual and wonders if the town is affecting Holly somehow. Sam confirms that Jim is still planning to go through with the wedding and informs him half the blackmail envelopes have been destroyed, although Jim retorts that as long as some remain this progress is meaningless. Sam makes it clear that any help he may provide Jim is in the interest of saving Murdoch alone, and the two rejoin the reception.

Sam steps outside onto the veranda just as Madam Dora arrives and he overhears her, Gretchen, Holly, and Jim discuss the odd absence of Jim's family and friends. Sam then witnesses Jim spurning Grandma Rowan's wedding coin, and is surprised by how well she takes it. As the wedding bells begin to ring, Cynthia asks why Sam is not leading people to their seats only for him to admit that he does not understand what his job as an usher entails. Murdoch rushes out of the church to find him and apologizes for not explaining the job properly, and mentions that Dahlia has gone missing. Sam then helps the guests find their seats and the ceremony commences.

Sam watches the bride and groom walk up the aisle, only for the wedding to be interrupted when the party notices through a church window that the Hendricks' Mansion has caught fire. The proceedings are further thrown into disarray by Neil and Reubin unexpectedly bursting through the doors of the church.

### William's Route

#### Chapter 1

Samuel's guilt is only intensified by the miners' riot that results from Jack's death, and he cannot shake a lingering sensation of being watched. Feeling overwhelmed, he abruptly snaps at Cynthia and announces he will not be accepting any clients. He then asks Will to come up to his room and shakily confesses to killing Jack in self-defense. To his surprise, William believes his side of the story, even congratulating him for the act, and Sam is brought to tears with relief. Despite Sam's desire to do what is 'right' by the law, Will declines to arrest him, believing that James Hendricks III would do everything in his power to hang Sam as a scapegoat in order to defuse the rioting miners' anger and protect his own image.

Sam is desperate not to return to the mine where Jack died but William demands to scrutinize the crime scene with him, and so they depart the Hip along with Murdoch. When they encounter Nik and he joins them, Sam can tell immediately that Nik has inferred the truth about the murder. William tells his deputy Todd to wait back at the police station and to put out a warrant for Sam's arrest if the group doesn't return before dawn. During the walk Sam is numb and resigned, and once he enters the mine he feels a familiar foreboding.

Once underground, the group briefly hears women laughing. They press on to the cavern where the crime occurred and find the bags of rocks validating Sam's story, underneath a tarantula nest that has formed in the intervening days. As they leave William hears what sounds like a woman, but Sam hears a voice ask, "Aren't you hungry, too?" On the way back to town, Samuel attempts to talk to Nikolai, but Nik needs time to process the fact that Sam confessed to the sheriff before confiding in him, and he leaves. Murdoch then comforts Sam before heading out himself.

Sam and William return to the station around three thirty in the morning. Will dismisses a grateful Todd from his post and cancels the conditional warrant for Sam. The dark outside makes Sam ask to spend the night and William obliges, setting up a makeshift bed for him and opting to sleep on the cot in the jail cell himself so Sam doesn't have to. Will also reveals that when they went back to the cavern where Jack died he found one of the double eagle coins that Sam lost during the struggle, and when he returns it to him Sam cries with gratitude.

The next morning, Samuel wakes up to William cooking breakfast. The two of them discuss how to avoid situations like the one Sam found himself in with Jack, and Sam agrees to play poker with Will that evening in order to hone his ability to tell and detect lies. Will also reveals that Nik approached him with suspicions about Sam's guilt before Sam confessed. On his way out of the station Sam has a brief interaction with Todd, who mentions that Huxley Greene has gone missing and left his wife Marcy distraught.

Back at the Hip, Madam Dora checks on Samuel. Sam is vague about his arrangement with William, and Dora warns against putting too much trust in the sheriff. Dora excuses herself at the arrival of Cynthia, who demands an explanation for Sam's erratic behavior. Believing that she deserves the truth, Sam confesses to the murder. After she processes her shock and expresses her full support for him, Cynthia reiterates that Sam shouldn't trust William too fully, and then gives him a list of his clients before leaving. Sam has a comparatively quiet day tending to clients and doing chores around the Hip.

In the evening, he heads to the sheriff's office for poker, where he meets William and Todd. Nik arrives and sits down next to Samuel, who feels a complicated mix of emotions and tries to avoid making eye contact. Sam tries to anticipate the bluffs of the others, but fails to win a hand before the game is suddenly interrupted by a gunshot from just outside the office. The bullet grazes Murdoch but appears to have been intended for Cliff. Sam follows Will and Todd outside to learn that the assailant, a young fox named Jimmy Fisher, was watching their entire game through the window. Sam is shaken by the fact that neither William nor Todd seem fazed by the fact that Will's return fire killed Jimmy, and watches as they wrap the body up and move it into the jail to await the coroner.

In the jail after the rest of the group departs, Will mentions to Sam that strange happenings in town seem to be piling up. Sam is unnerved by the corpse and wonders if there is something accursed at work in Echo. When William asks what he is afraid of, Sam explains his deep-seated fear that the true nature of God is unknowable and monstrous. Will tells him to lighten up, and Sam returns to the Hip.

#### Chapter 2

Madam Dora comes to Sam's room in the morning to warn him that Gretchen Byrnes, Murdoch's mother, and Mayor Testerman have come to the Hip to interrogate him about the shooting. Gretchen is terse and only asks about Murdoch, and Mayor Testerman is so inept that Sam is easily able to deflect his questions about Will's investigation. As Sam leaves he runs into Cynthia, who is exasperated by the people around town who act like Sheriff Adler can neatly resolve all of Echo's problems.

Todd greets Sam when he knocks on the door to the sheriff's office, and inside Sam uses his experience to help answer some of Todd's questions about sexuality. Will returns from a pawn shop in town and announces that Jimmy's gun was purchased by Huxley Greene on the day he and Reed assaulted Cliff at the Hip. Sam comes along when Will and Todd question Huxley's wife Marcy about his whereabouts, and her odd childlike behavior quickly unnerves him.

Back on the streets of Echo, the group encounters James Hendricks. Sam and Will join him in his car, where James reveals that Will's ex-wife Hattie has arrived in Echo. Will is horrified by the news and runs off to the Hip where she is staying, leaving Sam with James. James gives Sam a list of potential suspects in Jack's murder--really a list of people James has identified as working against his business interests--and urges Sam to convince William to investigate them.

After James' car pulls away, Sam pursues Will to the Hip and arrives just in time to hear the end of an argument upstairs before Will reappears and storms out of the building. Sam follows Will from a distance all the way into his office, and then asks Will about his relationship with his estranged family. Will claims he doesn't want to talk about it, but Sam can tell from his posture that he's lying and presses him, until Will admits he could never bring himself to feel anything for Hattie and hated being trapped in their marriage. If Sam tries to comfort him physically, the two may share their first kiss.

Murdoch arrives, and reports to Sam and William that he may have witnessed a body being dumped into Lake Emma. Will makes a plan to investigate the next day with Murdoch and Nik and invites Sam, who reluctantly agrees to tag along. Sam teases Will about the kindness underneath his gruff exterior and listens to his theories about who could be responsible for bringing Hattie to Echo, then departs for the evening.

At the Hip, Sam briefly considers finding himself a client but is convinced to join Cynthia in the powder room, where he learns that a mysterious trunk full of occult items and parlor tricks has been discovered in the walls. Cynthia decides to perform a 'levitation game' from the trunk with Lucy and Scarlet, even though Sam strongly objects because the practice is 'witchery' that he fears could invite the Devil. As the girls perform the ritual, Sam stares up at the ceiling and feels suddenly disoriented as an apparition with the head of a skeletal bull begins descending towards him.

Sam passes out and awakens to find that Harlan and Dora have arrived. Cynthia looks into the trunk again and finds kit fox fur and what appears to be one of her mother's necklaces, and leaves in obvious distress while Dora tends to Sam. Sam nearly collapses again when he stands and is escorted back to his room by Harlan and Ethel. Ethel lingers behind and seems to imply to Sam that she knows something about where the trunk and its contents came from, but Sam is too unwell to care and would rather talk to Cynthia about it.

Sam gets up in the middle of the night and goes into the powder room for a glass of water, where he overhears Dora accusing Harlan of being the owner of the chest. Harlan confesses, and Dora notices Sam outside the door but does not call attention to him. She instructs Harlan to dispose of the trunk and all its contents, except for the items that will be returned to Cynthia. Harlan is furious if he catches Sam eavesdropping, but Dora takes Sam's side.

After Harlan leaves, Dora tells Sam to think carefully before telling Cynthia that the trunk was Harlan's, since knowing the truth may mean she never again feels safe in the Hip. As Sam falls asleep, he thinks about catching a train out of Echo and scolds himself for thinking William might want to come with him.

Cynthia comes to talk to Sam in the morning, and considers moving on from Echo to escape whoever was hoarding stolen Meseta items in the trunk. Sam opts not to tell her it was Harlan, since it would almost certainly make her leave. After he discourages her from going he hears a voice that sounds like his own, mocking his words, and the feeling of being watched returns.

Outside, Sam discovers that Will has spent the morning on a stakeout of the Hip, which Sam notes may also double as a way to avoid Hattie. The two walk to Lake Emma and find Murdoch and Cliff having a picnic on the shore. Sam realizes from the way Murdoch and Will are acting that Cliff likely still has a hit placed on him for unknown reasons. Nik arrives to assist in the investigation, and things between him and Sam seem slightly less tense. Sam and Nik go with William to explore a lakeside cavern at Murdoch's direction, and inside Will finds a minecart that appears to implicate CSCG in the crime that Murdoch witnessed.

Will pursues a sound only he can hear deeper into the cavern, and Sam and Nik follow until the three come upon a rickety bridge over a chasm. Will wants to cross it, spurred on by signs of a mob family from his past that only he can perceive, but Nik urges caution after appraising the bridge and finding it dangerously rusted. Sam is startled by their disagreement, and settles the matter by either decisively backing Nik or walking onto the bridge and plunging to his death. After Sam takes Nik's side, Will appears to come to his senses and the three leave the cave. Later by the riverside, Sam reassures Will by trying to explain or excuse his behavior, and by pointing out that their investigation was worthwhile because it corroborated Murdoch's account.

Back at the picnic, Murdoch invites Sam and Will to The Stag, a male-only bar, and they agree. Sam sits with Will to keep him from stewing about the cave and the two continue to bond, and then Murdoch coaches Sam through using a camera to take a picture of the group. If Sam either opted to mention Will's duty to his family after hearing about Hattie, or told Will at the lakeside that nothing is wrong with him despite his hallucinations in the cave, the picture will come out too dark to see. Otherwise, it will develop normally. At the water's edge, Will manages to make Sam laugh with his banter. On the walk back to the station, William brings up Sam's long-standing desire to leave Echo, and Sam explains that staying in the town feels like being stuck.

#### Chapter 3

Will offers to pay Sam for his services, and the two have sex in William's apartment. Sam is intrigued by Will's description of finding pleasure in depravity and shame during sex, and the two engage in bondage and notably move beyond oral together for the first time. Sam sleeps fitfully and hears things crawling in the walls.

Early in the morning, Todd arrives with Huxley's headless body in tow. The timeline of Huxley's death means he could not have hired Jimmy, and so Will leaves with Todd to try and get more information out of Cliff. Sam waits in the sheriff's office, and then spends time with Cliff once Will brings him back to stay at the station for his own protection.

While staying at the station, Sam appears to get into a theological discussion with Todd, and is shown angrily reading him Bible verses about the inhumanity of God. William surmises this is because Sam's belief in a wrathful God contrasts Todd's conception of a loving, compassionate one.

Cynthia comes to the sheriff's office while Will is away and asks for a private moment with Sam, which Todd grants. She begins stealing records about herself and the other prostitutes at the Hip. Sam is shocked and chastises her, but covers for her when Will returns. Cynthia cautions Sam not to let Will use him to spy on people, and to find ways to protect himself. When Will later speaks with Cynthia at the Hip, she gives the sheriff 'one chance' to treat Sam right.

Once William has concluded his investigations for the day, Sam bumps into him outside the Hip. They return to the sheriff's office, where Todd explains he found Huxley's body lying in a ditch on the side of the road. Cliff is gone, but it becomes clear that before departing from police protection he decided to reorganize all the files in Will's office. Will worries that this means Cliff may have accessed secret information, and Sam is unconcerned until Will reminds him that documents about Sam's own crime would still be in the office if Will hadn't burned them.

Will fills Sam in on what he learned from the day's investigations, including that Hattie has relocated to Echo to escape a stalker in their home city. Hattie is working in James Hendricks' home, and Will suspects James may be partly involved in her sudden appearance in town. In order to determine whether Huxley's gun left his possession before he disappeared, Will invites Sam along to interview Marcy Greene a second time, because he believes that Sam 'notices some things' that he himself misses.

Sam then accepts Will's invitation to sleep over, this time for simple companionship instead of sex. Sam catches Will's tail wagging with excitement at the prospect of spending another night together, although the two maintain the pretense of Will paying for Sam's time. Unlike the previous night, Sam does not hear anything scratching in the walls.

In the morning, Sam and Todd help Will question Marcy, who has become much more despondent in the days since their last visit. She demands to know whether or not Huxley is ever coming back, and despite Will's attempt to keep her in the dark for the sake of the investigation, Todd steps in to confirm Marcy's fears and she immediately becomes uncommunicative. Sam tries to help her refocus, to no avail, while Will secures her permission to search her home and yard.

Outside, Will sends Sam off with Todd to examine Marcy's shed. Todd is oddly hesitant to conduct a thorough investigation of the shed but Sam insists, although they ultimately find nothing except for a scorpion under the floorboards. Sam and Todd then discuss their respective families, and Sam is shocked by the amount of Todd's relatives and the affection they evidently feel for one another, in comparison to the dislike and disinterest he has for his own. Sam seems content being cut off from his kin, however, and calls it 'simple and fair.'

The conversation shifts to the subject of sex, and Sam asks Todd outright if he finds Cliff attractive. Todd admits that he was actually aroused by Sam, not Cliff, after their previous conversation about male intimacy, and, after considering the appeal of potentially gaining a new client, Sam takes the opportunity to lead Todd into an exploratory sexual encounter. Todd is hesitant because of his religious views, but Sam encourages him to be less strict about his definition of chastity and guides Todd into a brief intimate encounter with the understanding that he can come back to the Hip later with payment for more.

Suddenly, however, the two are interrupted by the sound of Marcy nearby, and after quickly composing themselves they find her out in the yard in obvious distress, with blood running down her legs. Will rejoins them, and Sam immediately realizes that Marcy has gone into labor. The baby is stillborn and Sam is sympathetic, having seen such things many times, but Marcy insists that it is her fault. Sam and Todd swaddle Marcy in a blanket and carry her to the couch. Sam notes that Marcy did not deliver her placenta whole, which indicates a life-threatening complication.

While the three men look for supplies to help Marcy, Will realizes offhand that Sam and Todd smell like they've had a tryst and brings it up, but Sam changes the subject. Will then directs Sam to ask Madam Dora to find a discreet doctor for Marcy, and Sam departs for the Hip.

Later, once Marcy has been moved to the Hip and begun to stabilize under the care of Avery, Sam debriefs with Cynthia and Scarlet while they do laundry together. Sam reveals that Marcy's husband Huxley has been dead for days, and defends both Todd and Will when Cynthia cynically remarks that the deputy is inept and the sheriff has been too busy spying on them to do his job. Will himself then arrives, and as the simmering tension between him and Cynthia rapidly turns into a confrontation Sam excuses himself so they can have a talk, and says he will be waiting in his room.

### Nikolai's Route

#### Chapter 1

Samuel decides to keep his appointment with Nik, partly out of a sense of commitment and partly because he wants to make sure Nik isn't suspicious of him. He turns down Cliff and Murdoch, then heads to the Hip's bar to wait for Nik, only for Cliff to reappear and proposition him. Sam prepares to accept due to his intended client's apparent absence, but then Nik arrives through the back door and Sam smiles despite himself.

Sam sends Cliff away and brings Nik upstairs to his room. Sam escalates things physically with Nik must faster than usual, largely in an attempt to interrupt his questioning about what Sam was doing wounded near the mines on the night of Jack's death. When Nik finally does bring up Jack, Sam briefly considers trying to run or use violence but Nik restrains him, and Sam realizes Nik has known the truth since Jack's body was found. Sam is conflicted about trusting someone again, but decides to tell the whole truth because Nik is 'different.' Nik believes his confession, because Jack also tried the same scam on a miner named Yao.

Sam refuses to come clean to William, and so Nik agrees to help Sam escape Echo by first getting back the money he lost in the mines when Jack attacked him. Sam agrees when Nik offers to sleep over, and that night Sam has a nightmare, possibly from Jack's perspective, in which his head feels like it has been bashed in and he cannot remember who he is. In the dream something slides on the ground toward him and he begs it for help, but it responds only with unnatural sounds and attacks him.

Sam awakens to William knocking at the door, and realizes that a guilty Nik has already shared his suspicions about Jack's death with the sheriff. They manage to deflect Will's questioning, although he warns them he will ultimately find out whatever they are trying to hide. Nik assures Sam that William is trustworthy and will take their side, but Sam is not convinced. After Nik leaves for work, Sam tries to convince himself that whatever 'devil' chased him in the mines targeted him alone for his guilt, but cannot stand the thought of Nik possibly endangering himself to look for the money and decides to accompany him. He then imagines Jack's face and feels like something is in the room with him, before his own reflection in his mirror startles him badly.

To escape the feeling that something has followed him home, Sam takes a walk outside and encounters Cliff, who wants to speak with Cynthia to further his research about the Meseta. Sam agrees to put the two in touch. Sam then feels watched and notices William, apparently tailing him, and so he ducks into what turns out to be an illicit opium den. Inside, Chang demands to know how he found the place and Sam promises not to tell anyone what he has seen. Afterward, Sam has a cathartic moment on a hillside near the mines, enjoying the effects of second-hand opium, and decides to ask Nik to leave Echo with him. He thinks he sees something reaching out of the mine entrance that looks like it is made out of the hands of many different species, but dismisses it as an affect of the drugs.

Sam joins up with Nik and Yao, and Nik explains that Yao's expertise in navigating the mines will help them find Sam's lost money. When the three reach the mine entrance, Sam is apprehensive about venturing back in, especially with another person he doesn't know well, and plans not to let Nik out of his sight.

#### Chapter 2

Once inside a large cavern within the mine, Sam feels fear and respect as if he were in a cathedral. Nik brings up Jack, and Yao divulges that he knows about and is sympathetic to what Sam has done. Sam is furious at Nik for not keeping his secret, but Yao reiterates that he has his own similar history with Jack, as did many others, and Sam is disgusted with himself for being naïve enough to become Jack's latest victim.

Sam tries to express to Nik that there is an otherworldly evil lurking in the mines, but Nik is skeptical despite Sam's persistent feeling of being watched. Nik uses a rope to lower Sam and Yao down to the cavern where Jack died, where Sam picks up what he perceives to be a gold nugget only for it to crumble in his hand after Yao points out that it is actually charred remains. The charring is new and the coins are missing, and Yao and Sam conclude that someone else has been in the cavern and may have taken Sam's money. Sam is devastated, but Yao motivates him to keep going on behalf of the meaningful people in his life, and promises to tell him a secret that could save his life.

He and a suddenly scared-looking Yao leave the chamber, and Sam hears breathing and clicking sounds pursuing them. Back with Nik, Yao shares his secret: there is a vein of gold elsewhere in the mine that only he knows about, and he wants Sam and Nik's help to steal from it. Sam refuses to believe another story about gold without proof, and vows to protect Nik no matter what. When the three resurface, William catches them and begins asking why Sam was near the crime scene, only to be interrupted by James Hendricks, who insists that the sheriff should not be bothering employees of the mine. Will points out that Sam does not work for James, and so Yao quickly bluffs that Sam was underground with them because he would like to be hired. James is delighted and invites Sam to interview for a position, and Sam and the others quickly depart.

That night, Sam sleeps over in the bunkhouse that Nik and Yao share with several other miners. They make a plan for Sam to work in the mines for one week so that he has cover from William and can coordinate with Nik and Yao to extract the gold. In the middle of the night, Sam and Yao find themselves awake together, and Yao admits he has heard other things in the dark of the mines like whatever chased them earlier, but refuses to think more about it.

Both James and Briggs are waiting in James' office to interview Sam, which he observes is abnormal for a routine hire. James asks Sam to use his close relationship with Nik to keep him from associating with the union, and Sam realizes someone has been spying on them at the Hip. Briggs asks Sam if he can pay for his own equipment like the other miners do but James volunteers to cover the costs, and ultimately Sam gets the job.

Sam meets with Nik and Yao to inform them he has been hired, and that he will be placed on regular mining duty with them despite his inexperience because James expects him to keep an eye on Nik. When Yao weighs in, Sam may either shut down his suggestions or decide that he is helpful and worth confiding in further. If Sam trusts Yao, he is welcomed into the miners' union and Yao pledges to be frank with him from now on, setting the stage for the two to become friendly and eventually intimate. Otherwise, Sam says he will still go along with the plan for the gold but is choosing to trust Nik instead of Yao, and Sam's relationship with Yao remains more stand-offish.

After Yao leaves, Sam worries for Nik's safety, both because the mine's bosses seem to be targeting him and because there are unnatural dangers in the mines that Nik continues to brush off, but Nik responds with outrage, insisting that *Sam* is the one in need of protection. Nik also confesses that wants to be able to pay Sam what he is worth to hold him forever, and Sam invites him into a passionate kiss. Nik then departs for work, and Sam returns to the Hip.

In the powder room, Sam informs Dora about his new day job in the mine and asks how James could have known about his work at the Hip. She suspects William, but thinks it unlikely, and concludes one of the other prostitutes may be leaking sensitive information to James. Dora also warns Sam that William has been looking for him, and advises confronting the sheriff to pacify his suspicions. Instead, Sam avoids going back to his room to dodge a possible ambush from Will, and washes himself in an alley.

At The Stag that evening, Yao introduces Sam to union miners Dimitri, Paul, and Felipe. Chang is also there, and speaks privately with Sam to inform him that he has found out about his work as a gay prostitute, but promises secrecy so long as Sam keeps quiet about the opium den. Not long after, Paul punches a disgruntled miner named Ben in the face for acting impertinently towards Dimitri, which escalates into a fight. Sam wants to stay and watch what happens, but Nik escorts him out safely. Back in the bunkhouse, Sam is instructed to spend hours with Yao's maps of the mine, memorizing the route they will have to take through the labyrinthine tunnels to reach the gold. Sam is awoken that night by a voice he has never heard before suddenly shouting 'You all deserve to die' loud enough to shake the walls, but no one else reacts and he cannot tell if it was a dream.

In the morning, Ben greets Sam and acts overly familiar as he leads the way into the mine, which puts Sam on edge after the brawl the night before. Foreman Beckett, Sam's supervisor, chides Sam for not bringing his own tools and is skeptical when Sam claims that the co-owner of the mine himself promised to furnish his equipment. Nik arrives and offers to share his supplies, and Beckett reassigns Sam to his care. Sam is later perturbed when Nik explains that ore is found in veins, since it makes the mine seem alive.

To extract ore, Sam holds a spike against the wall of the mine while Nik drives it in with a sledgehammer. Sam is nervous about the risk to his hand, but Nik insists that Sam learn the technique so he can work with other miners once he and Nik are inevitably placed on separate shifts. After a miner named Nate gets into an altercation with Nik, Ben reappears and chastises Sam for being an instigator, until Dimitri steps in to undercut Ben and stand up for Sam. At lunch, both Yao and Nik share their food with Sam. Afterward, Beckett informs Sam that new tools have arrived for him as promised, along with a card signed by James Hendricks, and sets him up with a locker to store them in.

Later, Sam is made to hold a spike for Ben to hammer in, but Ben appears to suddenly shift his swing to try and bash Sam's arm instead. Sam dodges the blow but is shaken by the close call. He recounts the incident to Nik, who is furious that Sam might be in danger, but Sam insists on staying in the mines to keep Nik safe. Yao decides to enlist Chang's help in finding a discreet way to get himself, Sam, and Nik together on one shift so they can look out for each other, and gives Sam a message to pass along to him.

Chang in turn directs Sam to Porter Moore, a well-connected information broker, but asks for a favor in return. Sam assumes the favor will be sexual, but Chang only wants him to relay a message of apology to Porter and claim it came from Foreman Beckett, his estranged brother. Porter is intrigued enough by the message to hear Sam out, and Sam explains that he wants to be placed onto the shame shift in the mines as some of his associates. Porter explains that James Hendricks has been lusting after Sam for some time, which Sam can use as leverage to get favors from him. In return, Porter asks Sam for the identity of one of the men he is trying to stay close to in the mine. Sam may either tell the truth, naming Nik or Yao, or lie by choosing either Ben or one of the three union miners from The Stag.

If Sam trusted Yao initially, the two masturbate together that night after Yao learns the truth about Sam's profession. In the morning, Sam reassures Nik about the plan to rig the shift schedule, despite Nik's dismay upon learning that Sam will have to be intimate with James. Before leaving for work, Nik gives Sam a hand-painted lunch pail as a gift.

Sam spends the day working with Dimitri, Paul, and Felipe. Dimitri lends his bag of dynamite to Ben at one point, and then defends Ben after Sam brings up his aggressive behavior the previous day. On Sam's advice, Dimitri checks the dynamite bag when Ben brings it back and sees nothing unusual, but the next stick Sam lights burns erratically and explodes almost immediately. Dimitri manages to shove Sam to safety, but the bear's foot is crushed by debris. Beckett then tests the rest of the dynamite in Dimitri's bag and there are no more misfires, but Sam is still convinced of Ben's sabotage and even more dedicated to sticking close to Nik and Yao.

On his lunch break, Sam finds James Hendricks in his office and prepares to seduce him, only to be surprised by James' forwardness in asking for sex. After satisfying him, Sam asks for the shift change and James agrees.

With Dimitri out of commission and the three now together, Yao decides to lead Sam and Nik to the hidden gold vein so they can possibly speed up their heist. On the way, if Sam remembers the locker combination given to him by Beckett, he finds a wallet on the ground and takes it with him. When they pass back through the cavern where Jack died, Sam clenches his fists so hard his claws cut his palms, until Nik opens his hands for him to show him the blood.

Yao leads the group into a cavern with a stream and a large quartz deposit, and shows them a huge vein of gold in the wall. To banish Sam's mistrust, Yao finds a large nugget of gold and gives it to him to keep. From the direction of the water, the group then hears a childlike voice asking for help. Another voice from Sam's head warns him to get away, and he grabs Nik to stop him from approaching. The child's voice describes being eaten by maggots, and implores them to come closer and drown themselves before the thing that 'feeds' on it comes back.

Something massive then crashes into the water, and as the voice in Sam's head screams at him to leave he and the others flee the chamber. Nik's light goes out in the tunnels, causing him to panic, but Sam tries to lead him to safety. If Sam has successfully memorized the sequence of turns to take on the way back, he will escape with no issues, but if he takes too long or gets lost he will come face-to-face with a spiderlike monster with appendages that seem to be made out of the limbs of his friends.

Back on the surface, Sam and Nik share a moment of tearful relief before William interrupts. The sheriff does not arrest them, despite seeming to know they have been lying, and instead tells them the most important thing is their survival. After Will leaves, Sam insists on talking about whatever chased them in the mines, and begs Nik and Yao to confirm he is not crazy for thinking it was supernatural. Both are noncommittal, but Yao is certain that regardless of the exact nature of the danger in the cavern, they should only return once more and take whatever they can. Sam tries to remember the monster, but can only recall eyes, voices, and grasping hands.

Yao then leads the group to Chang's tent, where the union is discussing how to retaliate against the mine owners for Dimitri's debilitating injury. Sam is perturbed by the radical suggestions on display, including the arson of Briggs' ranch. Nik asks him to leave so he can speak with Yao and Chang in private.

Outside, Sam encounters Murdoch, apparently on his way to buy opium from Chang, along with his soon-to-be brother-in-law Jim, who works as an assayer for CSCG and is bringing Murdoch along to the mine to take some photographs. Murdoch apologizes for making the bet at the Hip, and pays Sam to make up for wasting his time. He also explains that he plays music at The Stag occasionally and saw Sam there several nights before, and invites him back to catch another performance sometime. Sam does not want to return to the bunkhouse, so when Nik finishes his business the two retire to Sam's room at The Hip.

Sam asks Nik to check that the gold Yao gave him is real, and he cries when Nik affirms that it is. He tries to get Nik to split it with him, but Nik insists it belongs to Sam alone. Nik finally admits that he glimpsed the monster in the mines, but his description of a childhood classmate rotted by glowing fungus makes him and Sam realize that whatever it was somehow appeared differently to each of them.

In a moment of intimacy, Nik then proposes to Sam. Sam may accept outright or ask for more time to consider the question, in which case Nik is understanding and plans to ask again soon. The two have penetrative sex for the first time, and Nik tells Sam he loves him just before Sam climaxes.

In the morning, Sam goes downstairs to find a crowd in the Hip, drawn by a rare singing performance from Dora. He overhears Cordelia mention her interest in the paranormal and asks to learn more about it. Sam quickly realizes that Cordelia is in an evidently open marriage with James Hendricks, and has heard all about him. When Nik arrives and informs Cordelia that he is one of the union miners striking against her husband, she extends an invitation to the Hendricks manor so Nik can speak openly about the miners' demands and Sam can hear more about the occult.

In the Hendricks' dining room, Sam comments on a suit of antique armor on display and James offers to let him try it on, but Nik's exasperation leads Sam to decline, whether or not he shows an interest initially. Cordelia then escorts Sam upstairs, and informs him that occultists consider Echo a hotspot for unusual activity. She performs a tarot reading for him, with the cards that she draws varying based on the choices Sam has made throughout the route.

Sam follows Cordelia into the kitchen for some homemade ice cream, then back into the dining room, where Nik and James are sitting in tense silence. Nik joins them as Cordelia leads the way down to the mansion's crawl space, where she stores ice and other ingredients, so that she can demonstrate how ice cream is made. She moves a box that Sam and Nik are surprised to see contains photographs of miners, including a picture of Nik, Yao, and Jack. Sam feels furious and vengeful at the sight of Jack, and when he says so Nik remarks that he sounds strange. Before Nik can explain why, Cordelia suddenly screams that an insect has been found contaminating her freezer, and her distracted dismay allows Sam and Nik to discreetly take at least one of the photos.

#### Chapter 3

Cordelia concludes that either James or someone he let into the cellar left the freezer door ajar, but when she leads Sam and Nik up to confront him they are informed by Hattie, the Hendricks' cook, that he has just left on an errand. Crestfallen that her husband has abandoned their guests, Cordelia bids them both farewell and asks them to come by some other time. Sam asks her where he can find other experts in otherworldly happenings and she suggests speaking to either Holly or Dahlia Byrnes, then adds that some members of the Moore family are 'influential in occult circles.'

On the walk back to the mines, Sam once again hears a voice in his head. Nik notices the resultant change in his demeanor and gives him some water. Sam explains that he has been hearing things and Nik is supportive and concerned, but seems to assume that they must be a result of the head injury Sam sustained from Jack. They find the miners in the midst of their strike, holding signs that demand justice for both Dimitri and Jack, the latter of which makes Sam feel sick.

Nik and Sam find Paul and Felipe and show them one of James' photos of the miners, which puts them on edge. Even more distressing is the news that Yao is nowhere to be found. Beckett appears and asks to speak with Sam and Nik alone, but Nik resolutely refuses to meet with management until he has had a chance to debrief with Dimitri. Partly to give Nik more time to search for Yao by waylaying the foreman and partly to follow up on what Cordelia implied about the Moore family's esoteric interests, Sam feigns cooperation and agrees to a private conversation with Beckett.

In a conference room, Beckett accuses Sam of planting the dynamite that hurt Dimitri, but Sam denies it and claims that Ben must be responsible because he has the 'look of a killer.' Sam has to backpedal when Beckett asks how he would know that, and he answers vaguely to avoid suspicion even as the voice in his head tries to goad him into confessing. Beckett is surprisingly understanding, and the two share an intense moment as he reflects on desperate times from his own past.

Sam then brings up the Moore family's reputation for associating with the occult but Beckett shuts him down, expressing disgust at the idea of trusting in the supernatural while implying that Porter by contrast may be much more open to it. Sam then asks outright if there is anything unusual in the mines. Beckett admits that going deeper into the mines causes a strange 'buzzing' noise to intensify, and that there is something down in the earth that makes odd sounds and causes weird dreams. Suddenly Beckett looks at Sam and is seized with terror, and seems to try and get away from him as quickly as possible, but then abruptly recomposes himself and walks calmly out of the office.

Despite Paul's suspicion, Sam refuses to divulge anything from his talk with Beckett until he can share it with Dimitri, so Paul and Felipe lead the way to the clinic where he is recovering. Once there, Sam explains that Beckett accused him of tampering with the dynamite, but leaves out the supernatural parts of their conversation. Nik and Dimitri speculate that, since Beckett seems truly confounded by the sabotage, Ben may have acted on orders from even higher up than the foreman. Sam and Nik then learn that Dimitri sent Yao to The Stag to relax, and the group decides to join him there.

The downtime from the strike means that the bar is crowded, but they still cannot find Yao. Alone with Nik, Sam worries Yao has left town, but Nik is certain that he would not abandon them. Sure enough, they then glimpse his tail and follow him into a second barn where a makeshift gym has been built by the miners. Sam and Nik get into a friendly debate about who has more muscle, which leads to a weightlifting competition that Sam ultimately loses. During the contest, Sam is amazed by Nik's liveliness and vitality, and wants to understand how he can remain so vibrant despite his circumstances.

Sam then tries to talk to Yao, but is frustrated to find him more interested in his workout. He then snaps at Nik for continuing to cheerfully 'mess around' despite the stakes of their predicament, but relents when Nik reminds him of the brutal hours the miners usually work. Yao suggests they go swimming in Lake Emma, partly for privacy, and Sam follows but waits on the banks instead.

After Sam brings up the thing in the mines that pursued them, Yao abruptly asks if he is scared to die. Sam replies that he used to be, but now just fears what might come after. Nik confesses that he is deeply afraid of leaving behind the life he enjoys and the friendships he has made, and Yao reminds him with sad resignation that their only options are to escape Echo in time or fight back when conflict erupts, since tensions at the mine are only increasing. Sam is incredulous, but Nik assures him that the situation the union faces is truly dire and violence is looming.

Yao leaves Nik and Sam alone, and Nik opens up about his home country. Hearing about the grief Nik feels from losing touch with his family causes Sam to wonder what it is like to have a family worth missing. Suddenly, Murdoch wanders up to them, disheveled and delirious, and begins vomiting. They tend to him and bring him back to The Stag, where he reveals to the assembled miners that while underground with Jim the previous night, he wandered into one of several inexplicable doors that appeared to him in the walls of the mine, then seemingly regained consciousness with no memory of the previous twenty-four hours shortly before he encountered Sam and Nik.

This prompts the others to begin sharing their own supernatural experiences in the mines. Sam and Nik try to avoid sharing their recent encounter, since it would give away their heist, and when Paul starts grilling Nik about his avoidant answers Yao cuts in to announce that he knows what is at the bottom of the mines. Sam observes that Yao sounds angry and tired as he explains that it is something horrible that cannot be explained and must be experienced.

Nik shyly asks Sam to dance, and he agrees despite his reluctance once Murdoch offers to play something special for them and Nik points out that it may be their last time ever at The Stag. Afterward, Sam and Nik prepare to meet up with Yao to begin their heist. Nik goes to get his precious headlamp and Sam waits outside the miners' bunkhouse, but then suddenly hears wild screaming and sobbing and rushes inside to find Nik in a state of abject panic because his "light" has been stolen.

As Sam tries to calm Nik down, Ben appears and announces that he knows who the thief is. Initially Ben implicates Yao, and depending on Sam's relationship with Yao he may either immediately dismiss this as a possibility or give it some thought. Eventually, after Nik intimidates him, Ben admits that Briggs took the helmet and wants to speak with Nik in private, before slinking away. Yao emerges from an alley and reveals that he overheard the altercation, and Sam's attitude toward him dependent on their level of trust. As Nik makes his way to Briggs' office, Yao suggests Sam watch over him and Sam promises to steal back Nik's helmet if it comes to that. They agree to reconvene in time to head back into the caverns with Nik and get the gold, and before Sam leaves Yao gives him a pat on the shoulder that seems to surprise both of them.

Sam feels watched on his way to the office, but sees no one. When he arrives Miranda the secretary tries to turn him away but Sam recalls that she is secretly working with the union and tells her he knows she is 'with Dimitri.' After he promises to deliver an envelope to Porter for her, she agrees that they share a common goal and allows Sam to get close enough to Briggs' office door to eavesdrop through the mail slot.

Briggs gives Nik his helmet back, but callously forbids him from ever using it in the mines again. As Nik leaves the office, Sam ducks into a conference room at Miranda's direction in order to avoid being spotted by Briggs. Beckett is inside, doing paperwork in the dark, and confronts him. If Sam was unable to recall the combination to his locker and never found Beckett's wallet, then Beckett accuses Sam of stealing it, explaining that he searched the locker and found it there himself. Sam admits that he forgot the code and never even accessed the locker, and Beckett finds his ignorance believable enough to let him leave.

However, if Sam did find the wallet, then he returns it immediately and apologizes, setting a much more conversational tone, and Beckett asks him to go through the contents to ensure nothing is missing. Sam glimpses a defaced family photo inside and correctly guesses that Porter is the one whose head has been torn out of the picture. He asks about the relationship between the two brothers, and Beckett explains that he completely cut Porter out of his life for using underhanded tactics to gain an advantage over their cousin Amos in a municipal election.

Sam may then press Beckett about his fearful reaction the last time they spoke. Beckett dismissively explains his history of hallucinations and does not seem to think much of their significance, but clarifies that he reacted not to Sam but something he saw just behind him: a shifting, gaseous face resembling a warped reflection of Sam with eyes that were too small and far apart and a mouth that was uncannily large. Sam wants to pray to God that the apparition isn't real, but considers that God may not be listening.

Outside, Sam finds Nik, who admits that Briggs scared him badly. Nik notices the envelope Miranda gave Sam and asks to know what it says. Inside is a telegram confirming that the National Guard has been called to break the strike and will arrive in the morning, driving home the necessity for them to leave town with Yao that night or risk being caught in the violence. Nik wants to warn Will about the imminent conflict but directs Sam to first deliver the envelope and satisfy his obligation to Porter, and sends him off with a kiss.

At the library, Sam realizes that the intel he holds puts him in a position to negotiate, and he may opt to change his initial decision about which miner's name to give to Porter. Porter is satisfied no matter what he does, and appears delighted by the news of the National Guard's approach. He quickly ushers Sam back outside and then hurries off, apparently confident that he can work the situation to his benefit if he moves quickly enough. Sam is curious about where he is going, but does not want to waste any more time on the night of the heist.

As Sam makes his way back to Yao and Nik, he wonders about how his sudden departure and the larger changes coming to Echo will affect Will, but resolves that they will survive just like Will instructed them, even if they have to do it somewhere else.

When he realizes that Yao plans to use the passage that Jack led him into, Sam explains his anxiety about it and asks if they have to take the same route. Nik holds his hand and offers to bring back double the gold so Sam can back out, and Yao may either also be understanding or sternly encourage Sam to hurry up, depending on their level of trust. If trust is low, then Sam makes it clear he is uneasy relying on Yao but they uphold their partnership for the task at hand, although Sam seems exhausted by the idea of the gold and eager to be done with the ordeal. If trust is high, then Sam, Nik, and Yao express their bond by describing each other as family, although Sam admits a family he cares about is not something he has ever had before. He knows he wants one, though, in a better place, and asks morbidly to be left behind in case they cannot get any gold since he is tired of 'tasting something he might never have.' Nik and Yao refuse to entertain the possibility, and swear to leave no brother behind.

Soon the three find themselves in the cavern again and, after several hours, are able to fill their bags with freshly mined gold ore. They discuss how to say their goodbyes before they leave Echo, and Yao cautions against letting anybody know about the gold, since one of them being found out could endanger them all. If there is mutual mistrust lingering between Sam and Yao, then Yao is skeptical of Sam's ability to stay discreet and Sam is deeply suspicious of Yao's offer to temporarily take all their gold and stash it away for them while they finish any last business in town.

Alternatively, if Sam and Yao are getting along then all three men plan to travel away from Echo together, although Yao admits he hopes he can convince Chang to come with him. Sam plans to bid farewell to Will, Cynthia, and Dora, despite his guilt about leaving them. If Sam and Yao have previously been intimate then Yao alludes vaguely to this, and Nik appears initially confused but seems to infer and come to terms with what he means.

Suddenly, an explosion collapses a portion of the cavern. Subsequent events vary significantly depending on whether Sam trusts Yao by this point. If he does, then Yao is trapped by the cave-in alongside Sam and Nik, but if Sam does not, then Yao is cut off from the other two by the debris and leaves to find help. Either way, it quickly becomes clear that the blast was caused by Ben recklessly using dynamite while on a late-night shift with Nate and another miner, who seems to have been killed by the collapse. Ben and Nate, now also trapped, demand an explanation for what the others are doing underground outside of normal working hours.

If Yao is present, he feigns stupidity in order to bluff that he and the others were sent underground on a fool's errand by the mine's management, and then attempts to argue that the best way to get out is by working together. Nate seems convinced and willing to cooperate, only for Ben to suddenly kill him with a pickaxe and reveal he never believed Yao's ruse. Ben then holds them at gunpoint and explains that he hopes to watch as Sam, Yao, and Nik turn on each other in order to become the sole survivor he will allow to escape.

If Nik and Sam are alone, Nate is more antagonistic and once again steals Nik's mining helmet. He tries to throw it into the fast-flowing subterranean river in the cavern but Sam manages to catch it, although he ends up falling into the river and has to cling to a stalagmite to avoid being swept away. Nate begins jeering at Sam and throwing rocks to dislodge him, which leads Nik to physically intervene. After Nate hits him, Nik responds with a single punch to the head that knocks Nate to the ground. After Nik rescues Sam from the river and Sam puts the hat back on his head, Ben reports that Nate has died from the blow. Ben then interrupts Nik's horrified reaction to inform them that he will only let one of them escape, and asks them to pick who should die.

In both cases, the spiderlike monster previously sighted in the cavern then descends silently from the ceiling and drops behind Ben. Ben is so shocked by the sight of it that he stumbles back and twists his ankle before falling into the river and being pulled under by the current. Ignoring Sam and the others, the monster then instead focuses on Nate's corpse, and seemingly begins to consume something in the air around it with its many mouths. Sam is horrified, and filled with simultaneous hatred for both the creature and himself, but also feels transfixed and eager to understand what he believes might be a kind of 'divinity.'

### Echo

While Samuel is clearly dead by the time of Echo, some version of him persists in the minds of other characters via a form of possession, through which Sam seems to slowly suppress his host's personality and influence their behavior. Chase Hunter hears Sam's voice in his head repeatedly while he is in Echo, and Chase's choices throughout the game are revealed to be directed in some way by Sam's hold on him. However, this manifestation of Sam describes itself as a mere 'simulation' of the original living Samuel Ayers, possibly created to serve a higher power with unknown goals, and the degree to which it identifies with Samuel Ayers' life experience varies. 'Sam' describes possession as akin to clinging to a lifeboat in open water, and it is implied that without it he would be unable to exist.

In Jenna's Route, Chase has a dream in which he witnesses Mr. Bronson and Janice accidentally run over an elderly Sam. Before the impact, Sam is walking in a state of apparent delirium down the middle of the road, with a limp in his left leg. Chase is able to sense that all of Sam's friends are dead and that he bitterly wants them back. Sam ultimately dies after being crushed beneath the vehicle and is hastily buried on the side of the road, but some version of his spirit possesses Mr. Bronson. On a hunting trip with his son decades later, Mr. Bronson dies and Sam's influence passes on to Sydney. When Sydney drowns in Lake Emma not long after, Sam moves to Chase.

The vision of Sam's death, as well as prompting by the influence that acts like Sam, later allows Chase to uncover and identify Sam's remains by the highway. This closure seems to possibly bring peace or clarity to the presence in Chase's head, making it more unclear just how much of the original Sam it retains. When Chase explains the situation to Jenna, 'Sam' may note that she reminds him of Cynthia.

In Flynn's route, 'Sam' is notably more detached from Chase and even goes for a "walk" by himself at one point outside of Flynn's house, before crossing paths with another presence and returning to his host. Eventually, Sam separates from Chase's body after Chase has a dissociative episode as a result of being bitten by a spider, during which Chase experiences a hallucinatory vision of Cliff from Sam's perspective. Sam then possesses Flynn, who appears to be able to sense the influence that Sam exerts on Chase. Sam later uses the persona of an adult version of Sydney, who was Flynn's best childhood friend, to lure him into Echo's mines.

While Flynn is hallucinating the experience of talking to 'Sydney' in The Smoke Room, Sam gradually reveals himself and discusses his true nature before goading Flynn into admitting he'd do anything to find the truth. A fire in the mines then burns Flynn and changes his body into The Socket Man, a warped, charred revenant piloted by Flynn and Sam's merged consciousnesses that exists outside of time and is drawn to moments of suffering throughout Echo's history. Sam's motives for inducing this transformation are unknown, though he possesses a degree of control over the creature's actions and seems to understand their existence better than Flynn does.

At the end of Leo's route, Sam takes full control of Chase in order to guide him out of the mines, causing Chase to have an out of body experience. Sam cites his knowledge of the mines' layout as coming from Nik, and eventually returns control to Chase when they encounter Flynn near the surface. Later, once they have boarded the train that will take them out of town, Chase and Sam decry Echo itself for hurting their friends and ruining their lives. This is one of the instances where Sam and the simulation of him seem most aligned; 'Sam' fills Chase with rage and compels him to hurl the names his friends from life- Cynthia, Nik, William, Cliff, and Murdoch- like curses back at the town as Chase escapes from it.

Any possible connections between Sam's eventual fate as presented in Echo and his storyline in The Smoke Room have not yet been revealed.
## Relationships

### William

William is a client and close friend of Samuel's, and uses his position as the town's sheriff to protect him. The two trust and confide in each other, although Samuel becomes afraid to do so after Jack's murder. This leads to Samuel becoming distant with William and somewhat nervous in his presence on most routes.

On William's route, when Samuel confesses Jack's murder to him William immediately takes action to keep him safe and covers up his involvement in the crime. He then takes Samuel under his wing and attempts to teach him skills such as recognizing lies and dealing with death, and trusts Samuel to the point of having him assist the sheriff's office in their investigations. The bond between the two also grows even closer, with many of William and Sam's decisions seemingly influencing Will's commitment to either his estranged family or Sam and the other connections he has made in Echo.

### Nikolai

Nikolai is a client and close friend of Samuel's, at some times even being called his best friend. Unlike Samuel's other clients, Nikolai is more interested in having someone to talk to and hold than having sex. As such, Samuel considers Nik his favorite client and enjoys their sessions to the point that he is willing to sacrifice his own wages to continue meeting. According to Samuel, while the two are not necessarily in love, they share a great appreciation for one another as friends. Samuel has also considered leaving Echo alongside Nik should they amass the funds to do so.

As Nik's route progresses, their relationship develops to the point that Sam may agree to a marriage proposal from Nik. Sam and Nik grow protective over each other, and Sam's drive for self-preservation is lessened in favor of braving dangerous experiences, such as working in the mines, so that Nik does not have to contend with them alone. On all other routes aside from Nik's, the bond between the two is strained by Sam hiding the truth of his crime from Nik, who is hurt by Sam refusing to trust in him. This causes Nik to largely avoid Sam, and Sam worries that he has irrevocably damaged their relationship as a result.

### Murdoch

Murdoch is familiar to Sam, although the two had never spoken prior to the discovery of Jack's body. Murdoch's smug persona can get on Samuel's nerves but the two have friendly banter. In Murdoch's route, Sam becomes a close confidant for Murdoch and one of the few who gets to see the depth of his desperation for approval and affection, eventually leading to them developing a committed relationship. Sam also ends up mentoring Murdoch, who is caught up in a transactional sexual relationship with Jim, in how to be a 'whore,' and Sam's goal of escaping Echo starts to include helping his newfound boyfriend escape the Byrnes family in the process.

In Cliff's route, Sam can notably come to resent Murdoch quite strongly for his nosy behavior, which early in the route leads to Sam suppressing an intrusive thought to push Murdoch off the cliff of Echo Canyon and then feeling horrified about the impulse. If Sam allows himself to warm up to Murdoch however, the two become close and bond over their mutual affection for Cliff, possibly even developing a group relationship should Cliff be in favor of it as well.

### Cliff

Although he finds him somewhat annoying, Samuel watches out for Cliff, if at first only because he is a valuable customer. Sam is also, however, very wary of the stoat's attachment to him. On most routes, Samuel seems to alternate between being somewhat exasperated by Cliff's presence and finding him humorous. Given Cliff's overexuberance and penchant for finding trouble, Sam often attempts to advise him that keeping discreet is the best way to stay safe in Echo. On Nikolai's route, Samuel notes that Cliff is easy to talk to.

On Cliff's route, Samuel takes a stronger liking toward Cliff and agrees to accompany him on his expedition, albeit initially as an excuse to flee Echo before his actions catch up to him. Despite their developing bond, Sam has so far remained committed to escaping punishment even if it means leaving Cliff behind. He is genuinely touched by Cliff's care for him, however, and the two develop feelings for each other despite both knowing that their relationship is likely to be a temporary one.

Sam enjoys playfully calling Cliff "Professor" due to his bookish mannerisms, even though Cliff regularly asserts that he is only a student.

### Cynthia

Cynthia is one of Samuel's closest friends, and by his own admission one of the few people he would miss after leaving Echo. Cynthia tends to help Sam understand concepts and nuances that he is otherwise ignorant to, despite sometimes being frustrated by Sam's oblivious nature. The two do not often speak about their pasts with one another, but they offer one another support as coworkers and banter easily. This has resulted in them forming a strong bond.

When Samuel confesses his role in Jack's murder to Cynthia on William's route, she tearfully expresses her support for him and promises to help keep him safe no matter what it takes. During this route especially, Cynthia is fiercely protective of Sam and threatens Will with retaliatory action if he hurts her friend. Cynthia is the only person that Samuel says goodbye to when planning to escape town on Cliff's route, and though he does not admit his planned flight to her, she seems to intuit that this will likely be their last meeting. Later in the route, after visiting the Meseta settlement Cynthia grew up in, Sam wonders what her life must have been like and wishes he could ask her about her experiences. He also uses their connection to develop a rapport with her cousin Tsela Begay, eventually promising him a phone call with Cynthia in exchange for his help.

### Madam Dora

Madam Dora is Sam's employer and the one in charge of booking most of his appointments. She found Sam destitute after he quit his job at the mine and offered him room and board in exchange for his talents, leading to him becoming one of the Hip's most infamous selling points. Like with all of her workers, Madam Dora genuinely cares for Sam's happiness and well-being and tends to encourage him to do what is best for him as an individual regardless of how it might affect the Hip. Sam is grateful for the Madam's support and on several occasions feels guilty for potentially hurting her business after she has gone above and beyond to help him.

### Jack

Despite only having known Jack for a week, Samuel quickly grew fond of him. He put all his trust into the man, and was ultimately humiliated by his betrayal. As a result, he currently harbors a bitter resentment for Jack and is slow to trust again. On Nikolai's route, Samuel describes their relationship as a short flair of passion and is embarrassed to have fallen for him so quickly.

### Chase Hunter

Samuel takes a neutral, albeit mocking attitude towards Chase. He considers him weak and pathetic, but also seems to recognize that they are both ultimately victims of Echo's machinations. On some occasions Sam intervenes to help Chase out of danger, though he likely only does so on his own behalf.

### John Begay

John and Sam's "ghosts" are evidently acquainted with each other and seem to have interacted across numerous timelines. John appears annoyed by Sam's tendency to bemoan his fate as unfair, and when he meets the living Sam during Cliff's route he is annoyed to not be remembered, since their meetings in Sam's 'afterlife' have not happened yet. Though the two are not seen interacting as "spirits," this notably showcases that "Sam" has a presence that is capable of conversation and independent action even beyond his host.

### God

Samuel is a Christian, and was raised by a devout Southern Baptist family. Although he no longer regularly attends church, his relationship with God is an integral part of his personality and worldview, especially as he tries to process the guilt he feels in the wake of Jack's death. God in Sam's understanding is wrathful and inscrutable, and this leaves Sam with the feeling that he is headed for damnation despite his crime being done in self-defense. Samuel also expresses a hesitant belief in redemption, however, and in the context of his own sexuality he explicitly rejects the Apostle Paul's doctrine that faith must be sinless. Sam's devotion is undercut by a frequent uncertainty about the nature of God, and he wavers between questioning God's benevolence and feeling shame about such sacrilege. Sam's beliefs are said to be comparative to Gnostic thought, which prioritizes a personal journey from illusion to enlightenment over one of sin and repentance, but Sam himself does not use that language.

Sam's wariness of the divine is explored most directly in William's route. When William asks Sam what he fears, Sam expresses his lifelong anxiety that God is something unknowable to mortal minds, that feasts upon the lives and experiences of people. Sam feels intense guilt when he voices this 'wicked' thought aloud and apologizes internally to God, but remarks that the fear always comes back to him unbidden.

In Murdoch's route, Sam looks at a photograph of the entrance to Echo's mine and sees blind, dead-looking eyes in the darkness. He describes them as looking 'through you' as if they are the eyes of God, or of the Devil.

## Trivia

* The Magnolia State, Samuel's birthplace, is the in-universe equivalent of Mississippi.
* Sam's favorite book is the Bible.
* Samuel has quite the sweet tooth, and favors taffy and beignets. He also greatly enjoys ice cream after having it for the first time.
* Samuel is the only Echo Project character known to be albino, though Cassius from Adastra also possesses white fur and red eyes.
* In the modern-day alternate universe, Sam's occupation is said to be a successful OnlyFans model.

## References

1. ↑ GeorgeSquares' CuriousCat
2. ↑ GeorgeSquares' CuriousCat