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% THE GLASS FACTORY. %
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#§¤%/=,¨¨¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨¨¨,=/%¤§#
##§¤%/=,¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨,=/%¤§##
###§¤%/=,¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨,=/%¤§###
##§¤%/=,¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨,=/%¤§##
#§¤%/=,¨¨¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨¨¨,=/%¤§#
§¤%/=,¨¨¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨¨¨,=/%¤§
¤%/=,¨¨¨¨¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨¨¨¨¨,=/%¤
%/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/%
/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/
%/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/%
¤%/=,¨¨¨¨¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨¨¨¨¨,=/%¤
§¤%/=,¨¨¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨¨¨,=/%¤§
#§¤%/=,¨¨¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨¨¨,=/%¤§#
##§¤%/=,¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨,=/%¤§##
###§¤%/=,¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨,=/%¤§###
##§¤%/=,¨¨ ¨¨,=/%¤§##
#§¤%/=,¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨,=/%¤§#
§¤%/=,¨¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨¨,=/%¤§
¤%/=,¨¨¨¨¨ ======= % % ======= ¨¨¨¨¨,=/%¤
%/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/%
/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/
%/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/%
¤%/=,¨¨¨¨¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨¨¨¨¨,=/%¤
§¤%/=,¨¨¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨¨¨,=/%¤§
#§¤%/=,¨¨¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨¨¨,=/%¤§#
##§¤%/=,¨¨ ¨¨,=/%¤§##
###§¤%/=,¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨,=/%¤§###
##§¤%/=,¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨,=/%¤§##
#§¤%/=,¨¨¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨¨¨,=/%¤§#
§¤%/=,¨¨¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨¨¨,=/%¤§
¤%/=,¨¨¨¨¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨¨¨¨¨,=/%¤
%/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/%
/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ======= % % ======= ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/
%/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/%
¤%/=,¨¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨¨,=/%¤
§¤%/=,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,=/%¤§
#§¤%/=,¨¨¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨¨¨,=/%¤§#
##§¤%/=,¨¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨¨,=/%¤§##
###§¤%/=,¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨,=/%¤§###
##§¤%/=,¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨,=/%¤§##
#§¤%/=,¨¨¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨¨¨,=/%¤§#
§¤%/=,¨¨¨¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨¨¨¨,=/%¤§
¤%/=,¨¨¨¨¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨¨,=/%¤
%/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/%
/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/
%/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/%
¤%/=,¨¨¨¨¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨¨¨¨¨,=/%¤
§¤%/=,¨¨¨¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨¨¨¨,=/%¤§
#§¤%/=,¨¨¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨¨¨,=/%¤§#
##§¤%/=,¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨,=/%¤§##
###§¤%/=,¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨,=/%¤§###
##§¤%/=,¨¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨¨,=/%¤§##
#§¤%/=,¨¨¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨¨¨,=/%¤§#
§¤%/=,¨¨¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨¨¨,=/%¤§
¤%/=,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,=/%¤
%/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/%
/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BECOME STILL. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/
%/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ %% ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/%
¤%/=,¨¨¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨¨¨,=/%¤
§¤%/=,¨¨¨¨ ======= % % ======= ¨¨¨¨,=/%¤§
#§¤%/=,¨¨¨ %% %% ¨¨¨,=/%¤§#
##§¤%/=,¨¨ %% ¨¨,=/%¤§##
###§¤%/=,¨ ¨,=/%¤§###
##§¤%/=,¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨,=/%¤§##
#§¤%/=,¨¨¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨¨¨,=/%¤§#
§¤%/=,¨¨¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨¨¨,=/%¤§
¤%/=,¨¨¨¨¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨¨¨¨¨,=/%¤
%/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/%
/=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=/
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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