...«««%%&&                                          &&%%«««...
.~«/%*####                                          ####*%/«~.
..~«//%%%&                                          &%%%//«~..
.~«/%*&###                                          ###&*%/«~.
....~~/*&#                                          #&*/~~....
.~«/%*&###             * DREAM PALACE *             ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&&##             ~ ----- ------ ~             ##&&*%/«~.
...~~/*&##             * ..... ...... *             ##&*/~~...
......~«%&             / ..... ...... /             &%«~......
.~«/%*&###             ~ ..... ...... ~             ###&*%/«~.
....~/%%&&             ~ ..... ...... ~             &&%%/~....
.~«/%*####             . ..... ...... .             ####*%/«~.
.~«««%%*##                                          ##*%%«««~.
.~«/%*&###                                          ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&### NOT  ACTUALLY A PALACE. A COTTAGE IN THE ###&*%/«~.
....~/%*&#  WOODS (TEMPERATE CLIMATE, RAINS EVERY   #&*%/~....
.~«/%*&### OTHER   DAY,  SPRINGS  AND  STREAMS  AND ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&###   MYSTERIOUS IRON AND STONE ARTIFACTS,   ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&###     BIRDLAND-ISH ETERNAL SPRING (LATE    ###&*%/«~.
.~««««/*##                 SPRING))                 ##*/««««~.
.~«/%*&###                                          ###&*%/«~.
.~~~~«/*&&                     «                    &&*/«~~~~.
.~«/%*&###                                          ###&*%/«~.
.......«%& I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING AT SIX  AM. IT'S &%«.......
.....~~«%& DARK, AND  THE STARS  ARE  OUT,  BUT THE &%«~~.....
.~«/%*&### SUN IS ABOUT TO  RISE.  ITS A  LONG DAY, ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&### BEFORE  IT FADES  TO  NIGHT  AGAIN,  AND ###&*%/«~.
......~/*& THEN IT  STAYS SO  UNTIL I  FALL ASLEEP. &*/~......
....~/***# IT  DOESN'T  RISE  UNLESS  I'VE  HAD  MY #***/~....
.~/%*&####                 DREAMS.                  ####&*%/~.
...~~~«%&#                                          #&%«~~~...
.~«/%*&###                    %                     ###&*%/«~.
.....~«%&#                                          #&%«~.....
.~«///*&## IN THIS COTTAGE THERE'S  A  LOT OF RADIO ##&*///«~.
.~«/%*&###   EQUIPMENT, SOUND STUFF, SYNTHS, TAPE   ###&*%/«~.
......«%*# PLAYERS. PEN AND  PAPER, BOOKS, CAMERAS, #*%«......
.~«/%%%%&# MIRRORS,  PRISMS, AND VARIOUS  THINGS TO #&%%%%/«~.
.~«///%*## DO  ART WITH. THE FRIDGE IS  FILLED WITH ##*%///«~.
......~/*& DIFFERET FOODS, ALL OF  THEM INTRIGUING, &*/~......
.~«/%*&###              SLIGHTLY WEIRD.             ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&###                                          ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&###                     &                    ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&###                                          ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&### I HAVE FRIENDS - THERE'S  A  CAT,  AND A ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&### DOG  (WHO   IS  RIDICOLOUSLY  LARGE  AND ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&### WANTS TO BE  THE BIG SPOON). I LISTEN TO ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&### THE  SHORTWAVE RADIO, AND TRANSMIT A BIT ###&*%/«~.
.~~««/%%&& MYSELF,  SONGS  AND  POETRY,  AND  FOUND &&%%/««~~.
.~«//%*&&# SOUNDS FROM THE  FOREST. THE OTHERS TELL #&&*%//«~.
.~«/%*&### OF  THEIR LIVES, PLAY THE GUITAR FOR ME, ###&*%/«~.
......«%*& AND  TELL  TALES  OF  THE  OLD  WORLD. I &*%«......
...««%%&##      CONSIDER THEM FRIENDS AS WELL.      ##&%%««...
......~/*&                                          &*/~......
.~«/%*&###                    #                     ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&###                                          ###&*%/«~.
.....~/*## MOST  IMPORTANTLY,  THERE'S A TWO SQUARE ##*/~.....
.~«/%*&### METER  AREA ON  THE FLOOR  WHERE  I  CAN ###&*%/«~.
.....~/**# "SAVE" THINGS. WHATEVER  I  PUT IN  HERE #**/~.....
....«%%%&& WILL NOT  BE  AFFECTED  BY  THE  NIGHTLY &&%%%«....
.~«/%*&###   RESET. EVERYTHING ELSE, HOWEVER, IS    ###&*%/«~.
.~«««//%&#    COMPLETELY RESET OVERNIGHT: SYNTH     #&%//«««~.
....~/%&&#  PATCHES REMOVED, FOOD UNEATEN, WOUNDS   #&&%/~....
.~«/%*&&## HEALED,  AND WHEREVER AND  WHENEVER  I'D ##&&*%/«~.
......«%%& FALL ASLEEP  I'D  ALWAYS  WAKE UP  FULLY &%%«......
.~«/%*&### RESTED  IN  MY  BED.  SOMETIMES  THERE'S ###&*%/«~.
...~~«%**& ACCIDENTS   WHERE  I   LOSE   STUFF   BY &**%«~~...
.....«%&&& FORGETTING  TO  PUT  THEM IN THE SQUARE. &&&%«.....
.~«/%*&###                                          ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%&####                    .                     ####&%/«~.
.~«/%*&###                                          ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&### AT   NIGHT,  I  HAVE  DEMI-LUCID  DREAMS ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&### WHERE THE SPIRITS OF  THE FOREST  AROUND ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%%%&## THE COTTAGE TRIES TO  COMMUNICATE. HERE, ##&%%%/«~.
.~«/%*&### IT'S NOT  ENDLESS  BUT  CONNECTED  TO  A ###&*%/«~.
....~/%&&& LARGE SPRAWLING  CITY,  WHERE  MY  RADIO &&&%/~....
.~«/%*&### FRIENDS LIVE. WE  GO  EXPLORING TOGETHER ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&### - THINGS  ARE DEEP AND DARK - BUT UNLIKE ###&*%/«~.
....««/*&& ME, THEY NEVER REMEMBER  DURING THE DAY. &&*/««....
.~«/%*&### THIS  IS  A  MYSTERY WE  OFTEN  DISCUSS. ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&###                                          ###&*%/«~.
.~«/*&####                                          ####&*/«~.
.~«/%*&###                                          ###&*%/«~.
.~«/%*&###                                          ###&*%/«~.
.....~/%%&                                          &%%/~.....
.~«/%*&###                                          ###&*%/«~.