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,,,,,,:«*% ######,,,,:«::,,##################### %*«:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«* *** *«:,,,,,,,
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,,,,:«*%$@ @$%*«:,,,,
,,,:«*%$@@ YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A RIFT - A @@$%*«:,,,
,,:«*%$@@@ CLEARING, NARROW BUT IMMEASURABLY LONG. @@@$%*«:,,
,:«*%$@@@# TO YOUR SIDES ARE WALLS MADE OF TREES, #@@@$%*«:,
,,:«*%$@@@ THICK AND READY TO SWALLOW YOU. THE SUN @@@$%*«:,,
,,,:«*%$@@ IS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN, BUT NONTHELESS @@$%*«:,,,
,,,,:«*%$@ IT IS VERY BRIGHT - THE AIR FEELS LIGHT @$%*«:,,,,
,,,,,:«*%$ BLUE, ALMOST WHITE. $%*«:,,,,,
,,,,,,:«*% %*«:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«* ALONG THE SPAN OF THE CLEARING LAY TWO *«:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:« PARALLEL SILVERY LINES, DARK HARD «:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«* METAL. SOMEHOW YOU CAN SEE HOW HEAVY *«:,,,,,,,
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,,,,:«*%$@ THEY EMIT A HIGH PITCHED WHINE... @$%*«:,,,,
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,,,,,,:«*% YOURE AT THE TRAIN STATION, ON A %*«:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«* CATWALK ABOVE THE RAILS. YOUR TRAIN IS *«:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:« LATE, OR YOU ARE LATE TO THE TRAIN. «:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«* IT'S A SUMMER AFTERNOON AND THE STATION *«:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:«*% IS BUSY, FULL OF RELAXED CONFIDENCE. %*«:,,,,,,
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,,,,:«*%$@ 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 $%*«:,,,,,
,,,,,,:«*% SOME GLASS WINDOWS. IT'S... NOT WHERE %*«:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«* IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE? *«:,,,,,,,
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,,,:«*%$@@ (SITUATION) @@$%*«:,,,
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,:«*%$@@@# YOU'RE FINALLY ENTERING THE CITY. WHILE #@@@$%*«:,
,,:«*%$@@@ IT IS INDEED A VERY HIGH SPEED TRAIN @@@$%*«:,,
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,,,,:«*%$@ BEEN LONG. BUT IT'S ABOUT TO END! @$%*«:,,,,
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,,,,,,:«*% SOCIETY IS GROWING DENSER AROUND YOU, %*«:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«* THROUGH THE WINDOWS YOU SEE FIRST SMALL *«:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:« SHACKS, BUILT OF METAL AND STONE, THEN «:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«* PROPER HOUSES WITH MORTAR TO KEEP THEM *«:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:«*% TOGETHER... WHO IN TURN MAKE WAY FOR %*«:,,,,,,
,,,,,:«*%$ THE INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS, THE URBAN $%*«:,,,,,
,,,,:«*%$@ MAZE, PROTECTIVE WALLS, JUNGLE @$%*«:,,,,
,,,:«*%$@@ NETWORK... @@$%*«:,,,
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,:«*%$@@@# 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. «:,,,,,,,,
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