@*=~.,,,,, ,,,,,.~=*@
¶@*=~.,,,, ,,,,.~=*@¶
@¶@*=~.,,, ,,,.~=*@¶@
#@¶@*=~.,, ,,.~=*@¶@#
##@¶@*=~., ,.~=*@¶@##
#@¶@*=~.,, 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. ,,,,,.~=*@
*=~.,,,,,, ,,,,,,.~=*
=~.,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,.~=
~.,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,.~
=~.,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,.~=
*=~.,,,,,, ,,,,,,.~=*