....^^:*#@ @#*:^^....
.^~:*¤##@@ @@##¤*:~^.
...^^:::*# #*:::^^...
.^~:*¤#@@# #@@#¤*:~^.
.^~:*¤###@ @###¤*:~^.
.^~:*¤#@@@ 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. #@@#¤*:~^.
.....~*¤¤@ @¤¤*~.....
......^:¤# #¤:^......
..^^~:¤¤## ##¤¤:~^^..
....^:***# #***:^....
.^~:*¤#@@# #@@#¤*:~^.