####@^†=-¨ ¨-=†^@####
####@^†=-¨ ¨-=†^@####
####@^†=-¨ ¨-=†^@####
#^=-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=^#
####@^†=-¨ ¨-=†^@####
####@^†=-¨ 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. ¨-=†^@####
####@^†=-¨ ¨-=†^@####
####@^†=-¨ ¨-=†^@####
#@††††==-¨ ¨-==††††@#
#@††-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-††@#
####@^†=-¨ ¨-=†^@####