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.......... 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 $*†=^.....
......^=†* parallel silvery lines, dark hard *†=^......
.......^=† metal. somehow you can see how heavy †=^.......
........^= they are. =^........
.........^ ^.........
.......... they emit a high pitched whine... ..........
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.......... = ..........
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.......... (situation) ..........
.......... ..........
.......... youre at the train station, on a ..........
.........^ catwalk above the rails. your train is ^.........
........^= late, or you are late to the train. =^........
.......^=† it's a summer afternoon and the station †=^.......
......^=†* is busy, full of relaxed confidence. *†=^......
.....^=†*$ $*†=^.....
....^=†*$¤ 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 $*†=^.....
......^=†* some glass windows. it's... not where *†=^......
.......^=† it's supposed to be? †=^.......
........^= =^........
.........^ = ^.........
.......... ^^$^^ ..........
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.......... (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. ..........
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