........~~ ~~........
.........~ ~.........
.......... ..........
.........~ ~.........
........~~ ~~........
.......~~^ TRAIN DREAM ^~~.......
......~~^* ######....~~~~..##################### *^~~......
.....~~^*& ^^^ &*^~~.....
....~~^*&& ~ &&*^~~....
...~~^*&&@ ~ @&&*^~~...
..~~^*&&@# #@&&*^~~..
.~~^*&&@## (SITUATION) ##@&&*^~~.
..~~^*&&@# #@&&*^~~..
...~~^*&&@ YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A RIFT - A @&&*^~~...
....~~^*&& CLEARING, NARROW BUT IMMEASURABLY LONG. &&*^~~....
.....~~^*& TO YOUR SIDES ARE WALLS MADE OF TREES, &*^~~.....
......~~^* THICK AND READY TO SWALLOW YOU. THE SUN *^~~......
.......~~^ IS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN, BUT NONTHELESS ^~~.......
........~~ IT IS VERY BRIGHT - THE AIR FEELS LIGHT ~~........
.........~ BLUE, ALMOST WHITE. ~.........
.......... ..........
.........~ ALONG THE SPAN OF THE CLEARING LAY TWO ~.........
........~~ PARALLEL SILVERY LINES, DARK HARD ~~........
.......~~^ METAL. SOMEHOW YOU CAN SEE HOW HEAVY ^~~.......
......~~^* THEY ARE. *^~~......
.....~~^*& &*^~~.....
....~~^*&& THEY EMIT A HIGH PITCHED WHINE... &&*^~~....
...~~^*&&@ @&&*^~~...
..~~^*&&@# ~ #@&&*^~~..
.~~^*&&@## ..*.. ##@&&*^~~.
..~~^*&&@# ~ #@&&*^~~..
...~~^*&&@ @&&*^~~...
....~~^*&& (SITUATION) &&*^~~....
.....~~^*& &*^~~.....
......~~^* YOURE AT THE TRAIN STATION, ON A *^~~......
.......~~^ CATWALK ABOVE THE RAILS. YOUR TRAIN IS ^~~.......
........~~ LATE, OR YOU ARE LATE TO THE TRAIN. ~~........
.........~ IT'S A SUMMER AFTERNOON AND THE STATION ~.........
.......... IS BUSY, FULL OF RELAXED CONFIDENCE. ..........
.........~ ~.........
........~~ YOU'RE IN HIGH SPIRITS, ALTHOUGH A BIT ~~........
.......~~^ STRESSED ABOUT THE TIME, WHILE MOVING ^~~.......
......~~^* UP THE STAIRS TO YOUR PLATFORM. THE *^~~......
.....~~^*& STATION IS IN SEVERAL LEVELS, ALL &*^~~.....
....~~^*&& PLACED WITHIN EACHOTHER BY SOME &&*^~~....
...~~^*&&@ INTELLIGENT DESIGNER, AND FULL OF @&&*^~~...
..~~^*&&@# STAIRS, ELEVATORS, SHORTCUTS, #@&&*^~~..
.~~^*&&@## BAZAARS... YOU SIGHT YOUR TRAIN THROUGH ##@&&*^~~.
..~~^*&&@# SOME GLASS WINDOWS. IT'S... NOT WHERE #@&&*^~~..
...~~^*&&@ IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE? @&&*^~~...
....~~^*&& &&*^~~....
.....~~^*& ~ &*^~~.....
......~~^* ~~&~~ *^~~......
.......~~^ ~ ^~~.......
........~~ ~~........
.........~ (SITUATION) ~.........
.......... ..........
.........~ YOU'RE FINALLY ENTERING THE CITY. WHILE ~.........
........~~ IT IS INDEED A VERY HIGH SPEED TRAIN ~~........
.......~~^ YOU'RE TRAVELING IN, THE JOURNEY HAS ^~~.......
......~~^* BEEN LONG. BUT IT'S ABOUT TO END! *^~~......
.....~~^*& &*^~~.....
....~~^*&& SOCIETY IS GROWING DENSER AROUND YOU, &&*^~~....
...~~^*&&@ THROUGH THE WINDOWS YOU SEE FIRST SMALL @&&*^~~...
..~~^*&&@# SHACKS, BUILT OF METAL AND STONE, THEN #@&&*^~~..
.~~^*&&@## PROPER HOUSES WITH MORTAR TO KEEP THEM ##@&&*^~~.
..~~^*&&@# TOGETHER... WHO IN TURN MAKE WAY FOR #@&&*^~~..
...~~^*&&@ THE INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS, THE URBAN @&&*^~~...
....~~^*&& MAZE, PROTECTIVE WALLS, JUNGLE &&*^~~....
.....~~^*& NETWORK... &*^~~.....
......~~^* *^~~......
.......~~^ THE TRACKS LEAVE THE GROUND, WHICH IS ^~~.......
........~~ NEEDED FOR OTHER PURPOSES. YOU ARE ~~........
.........~ CARRIED GENTLY, CURVING UPWARDS UNTIL ~.........
.......... YOU'RE MOVING UPWARD ALONG THE WALL OF ..........
.........~ A BUILDING. IT'S MADE OF SLABBY STONE, ~.........
........~~ WITH GREAT GLASSLESS WINDOW HOLES ~~........
.......~~^ LOOKING OUT THE WAY YOU CAME. IT IS ^~~.......
......~~^* PITCH BLACK INSIDE. *^~~......
.....~~^*& &*^~~.....
....~~^*&& &&*^~~....
...~~^*&&@ @&&*^~~...
..~~^*&&@# #@&&*^~~..
.~~^*&&@## ##@&&*^~~.