...~~†=$@# #@$=†~~...
....~~†=$@ @$=†~~....
.....~~†=$ $=†~~.....
......~~†= =†~~......
.......~~† †~~.......
........~~ TRAIN DREAM ~~........
.........~ ######....~~~~..##################### ~.........
.......... ††† ..........
.......... ~ ..........
.......... ~ ..........
.......... ..........
.......... (SITUATION) ..........
.........~ ~.........
........~~ YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A RIFT - A ~~........
.......~~† CLEARING, NARROW BUT IMMEASURABLY LONG. †~~.......
......~~†= TO YOUR SIDES ARE WALLS MADE OF TREES, =†~~......
.....~~†=$ 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 $=†~~.....
......~~†= NETWORK... =†~~......
.......~~† †~~.......
........~~ THE TRACKS LEAVE THE GROUND, WHICH IS ~~........
.........~ NEEDED FOR OTHER PURPOSES. YOU ARE ~.........
.......... CARRIED GENTLY, CURVING UPWARDS UNTIL ..........
.......... YOU'RE MOVING UPWARD ALONG THE WALL OF ..........
.......... A BUILDING. IT'S MADE OF SLABBY STONE, ..........
.......... WITH GREAT GLASSLESS WINDOW HOLES ..........
.......... LOOKING OUT THE WAY YOU CAME. IT IS ..........
.........~ PITCH BLACK INSIDE. ~.........
........~~ ~~........
.......~~† †~~.......
......~~†= =†~~......
.....~~†=$ $=†~~.....
....~~†=$@ @$=†~~....