*--....... .......--*
%*--...... ......--*%
%%*--..... .....--*%%
#%%*--.... ....--*%%#
##%%*--... ...--*%%##
###%%*--.. TRAIN DREAM ..--*%%###
####%%*--. ######....----..##################### .--*%%####
###%%*--.. *** ..--*%%###
##%%*--... - ...--*%%##
#%%*--.... - ....--*%%#
%%*--..... .....--*%%
%*--...... (SITUATION) ......--*%
*--....... .......--*
--........ 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 ....--*%%#
%%*--..... THEY ARE. .....--*%%
%*--...... ......--*%
*--....... THEY EMIT A HIGH PITCHED WHINE... .......--*
--........ ........--
*--....... - .......--*
%*--...... ..%.. ......--*%
%%*--..... - .....--*%%
#%%*--.... ....--*%%#
##%%*--... (SITUATION) ...--*%%##
###%%*--.. ..--*%%###
####%%*--. 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. .....--*%%
%*--...... ......--*%
*--....... 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? ..--*%%###
##%%*--... ...--*%%##
#%%*--.... - ....--*%%#
%%*--..... --%-- .....--*%%
%*--...... - ......--*%
*--....... .......--*
--........ (SITUATION) ........--
*--....... .......--*
%*--...... YOU'RE FINALLY ENTERING THE CITY. WHILE ......--*%
%%*--..... IT IS INDEED A VERY HIGH SPEED TRAIN .....--*%%
#%%*--.... YOU'RE TRAVELING IN, THE JOURNEY HAS ....--*%%#
##%%*--... BEEN LONG. BUT IT'S ABOUT TO END! ...--*%%##
###%%*--.. ..--*%%###
####%%*--. 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... ........--
*--....... .......--*
%*--...... 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. ...--*%%##
#%%*--.... ....--*%%#
%%*--..... .....--*%%
%*--...... ......--*%
*--....... .......--*
--........ ........--