^=~:...... ......:~=^
=~:....... .......:~=
~:........ ........:~
:......... .........:
.......... ..........
:......... 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. ........:~
=~:....... .......:~=
^=~:...... ......:~=^
*^=~:..... .....:~=^*
§*^=~:.... ....:~=^*§
#§*^=~:... ...:~=^*§#