¨¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨ ¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨&
&¨¨¨¨&¨&&¨ ¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨
¨&¨¨¨¨¨&&& ¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨
¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨& ¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨
¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨& &¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨
¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨& 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨
¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨& &¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨
¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨ ¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&
&¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨&¨¨&¨¨&¨¨ ¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨&¨¨&¨¨&¨ &¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨