-......... .........-
.......... ..........
-......... .........-
=-........ ........-=
^=-....... .......-=^
*^=-...... 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. .....-=^**
¶**^=-.... ....-=^**¶
#¶**^=-... ...-=^**¶#
##¶**^=-.. ..-=^**¶##
###¶**^=-. .-=^**¶###
##¶**^=-.. ..-=^**¶##