==~....... .......~==
=~........ ........~=
~......... .........~
.......... ..........
~......... .........~
=~........ THEY BUILT THE FINAL NIGHTCLUB ON TOP ........~=
==~....... OF AN UNDOCUMENTED RESEARCH SITE. EACH .......~==
&==~...... FLOOR CLOSER TO THE COLLAPSED WARP ......~==&
@&==~..... PROTOTYPE. DID THEY KNOW AT THE START? .....~==&@
#@&==~.... CLASSIFIED MAPS HAD GONE MISSING SOME ....~==&@#
##@&==~... YEARS BEFORE. ...~==&@##
###@&==~.. ..~==&@###
##@&==~... THE DEEPER YOU DESCEND, THE STRANGER ...~==&@##
#@&==~.... THE ENVIRONMENT - FIRST MORE ....~==&@#
@&==~..... ENTHRALLING AND INTRUSIVE, THEN SEEDY .....~==&@
&==~...... AND PREDATORY, BUT PIERCE DEEPER AND ......~==&
==~....... THERE WILL BE MORE PECULIAR EFFECTS. .......~==
=~........ YOUR SENSE OF SPACE WILL SEEM TO ........~=
~......... DISTORT (IT'S ACTUALLY THE SPACETIME .........~
.......... ITSELF THAT IS BECOMING FLUID), THEN ..........
~......... YOUR BODY, AND FINALLY YOUR SENSE OF .........~
=~........ SELF. ........~=
==~....... .......~==
&==~...... # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ##### ### ......~==&
@&==~..... ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ##### ### .....~==&@
#@&==~.... ### ### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ....~==&@#
##@&==~... #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### ...~==&@##
###@&==~.. ###### ###### ###### ###### ###### ..~==&@###
##@&==~... ###### ###### ###### ###### ###### ...~==&@##
#@&==~.... ###### ###### ######## ######## ....~==&@#
@&==~..... ######## ######## ######## ######## .....~==&@
&==~...... ######## ######## ######## ######## ......~==&
==~....... ######## ######## .................. .......~==
=~........ .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ........~=
~......... .... .... .... ...... ...... ...... .........~
.......... ...... ...... ...... ..... ..... ..... ..........
~......... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ....... .........~
=~........ ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ........~=
==~....... ....... ...... ...... ...... ...... .......~==
&==~...... ...... ...... ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. ......~==&
@&==~..... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .....~==&@
#@&==~.... .. .. .~ .~ .~ .~ .~ .~ .~ .~ .= .= .= ....~==&@#
##@&==~... .= .= .= .& .@ .# .# .# ~. ~. ~~ ~= ~= ...~==&@##
###@&==~.. ~& ~@ ~# ~# ~# =. =. =~ == == =& =@ =# ..~==&@###
##@&==~... =# =# =. =. =~ == == =& =@ =# =# =# &. ...~==&@##
#@&==~.... &. &~ &= &= && &@ @. @. @~ @= ....~==&@#
@&==~..... @= @& @@ @# @# @# #. #. #~ #= #= #& #@ .....~==&@
&==~...... ## ## ## #. #. #~ #= #= #& #@ ## ## ## ......~==&
==~....... #. #. #~ #= #= #& #@ ## .......~==
=~........ THE CEILING IS COVERED IN ACTUAL STARS. ........~=
~......... EYES ABOVE .........~
.......... FADING INTO SILVER FLAKES AS THEY FALL ..........
~......... BUBBLES IN DRINKS .........~
=~........ ........~=
==~....... DRINKS WITH A SECRET INGREDIENT, THAT .......~==
&==~...... MAKES YOU SEE THE STARS EVEN WHEN YOU ......~==&
@&==~..... CLOSE YOUR EYES. .....~==&@
#@&==~.... ....~==&@#
##@&==~... AT THESE DEEPER LEVELS IT CAN BE HARD ...~==&@##
###@&==~.. TO REMEMBER WHO AND WHERE YOU ARE ..~==&@###
##@&==~... (WERE). NORMAL STAFF IS AS TRANSFORMED ...~==&@##
#@&==~.... AS GUESTS. INSTEAD, CARE AND PROTECTION ....~==&@#
@&==~..... ARE OFFERED BY (OVERLY FLIRTY) .....~==&@
&==~...... POOL TOYS AND OTHER SUCH AUTOMATONS. ......~==&
==~....... .......~==
=~........ IF YOU STAY ABOVE ABSOLUTE MADNESS, ........~=
~......... THERE IS SOME SORT OF CONTROL TO BE .........~
.......... HAD. YOU COULD SLIP INTO YOUR IDEAL DOG ..........
~......... BODY THERE, EXPLORE THAT. YOU COULD .........~
=~........ DRINK POISONOUS AMBROSIA AND NOT BE ........~=
==~....... BURNED AWAY. YOU COULD EXPLORE .......~==
&==~...... TERRITORIES JUST AS MAPLESS AS THOSE ......~==&
@&==~..... CLOSER TO THE CORE, BUT WITH A CHANCE .....~==&@
#@&==~.... OF FINDING YOUR WAY BACK. ....~==&@#
##@&==~... ...~==&@##
###@&==~.. .# .# .# .# .# .# .# .# .# .# .# ..~==&@###
##@&==~... .. THE HONEY IS A TRAP AND THERE'S A .. ...~==&@##
#@&==~.... ~~ STING, A STING, A STING. ~~ ....~==&@#
@&==~..... =. IT'S IN YOUR EYES AND IT'S IN YOUR .= .....~==&@
&==~...... =. MOUTH AND YOUR HANDS, THEIR HANDS .= ......~==&
==~....... &~ IT'S IN YOUR HEART AND IN YOUR ~& .......~==
=~........ @= MIND AND THE MINDS OF THOSE AROUND =@ ........~=
~......... #= YOU, THEIR HEARTS, THEIR BODIES. =# .........~
.......... #& #& #& #& #& #& #& #& #& #& #& ..........
~......... AND IF YOU'RE LUCKY, YOU'LL NEVER GET .........~
=~........ OUT. DON'T BITE THE OTHER GUESTS. ........~=
==~....... (OR DO) .......~==
&==~...... ......~==&
@&==~..... THE DEEPER THE FLOOR GOES, THE MORE .....~==&@
#@&==~.... EXPENSIVE THE DRINKS. THIS IS NOT ....~==&@#
##@&==~... COINCIDENTAL. THE MORE EXPENSIVE THE ...~==&@##
###@&==~.. DRINKS, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS THAT ..~==&@###
##@&==~... SOMEONE WILL BUY THEM FOR YOU. ...~==&@##
#@&==~.... THIS IS ALSO NOT COINCIDENTAL. IF ....~==&@#
@&==~..... SOMEONE BUYS YOU A DRINK, THEY ARE VERY .....~==&@
&==~...... LIKELY TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR NEEDS IN ......~==&
==~....... OTHER WAYS AS WELL. .......~==
=~........ ........~=
~......... .........~
.......... ..........
~......... .........~
=~........ ........~=