##@&@*/~~. .~~/*@&@##
#@&@*/~~.. ..~~/*@&@#
@&@*/~~... ...~~/*@&@
&@*/~~.... ....~~/*@&
@*/~~..... .....~~/*@
*/~~...... 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. ...~~/*@&@
#@&@*/~~.. ..~~/*@&@#
##@&@*/~~. .~~/*@&@##
#@&@*/~~.. ..~~/*@&@#
@&@*/~~... ...~~/*@&@
&@*/~~.... ....~~/*@&