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¨.«:$$&@## they built the final nightclub on top ##@&$$:«.¨
¨¨..«:$&&& of an undocumented research site. each &&&$:«..¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.:$& floor closer to the collapsed warp &$:.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.«:$$$$&& prototype. did they know at the start? &&$$$$:«.¨
¨¨¨¨««:$$@ classified maps had gone missing some @$$:««¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.:$@@ years before. @@$:.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.«:$$&@## ##@&$$:«.¨
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¨.«:$&@### the environment - first more ###@&$:«.¨
¨¨¨¨.:$$@# 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 ##@&$$:«.¨
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¨¨¨¨.«:$ the ceiling is covered in actual stars. #&$:«.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨«::$& eyes above &$::«¨¨¨¨¨
¨.«:$&@### fading into silver flakes as they fall ###@&$:«.¨
¨.«:$&@### bubbles in drinks ###@&$:«.¨
¨.«:$$&@## ##@&$$:«.¨
¨.«:$$&@## 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) @&&$$::«.¨
¨¨¨.:$$$$@ pool toys and other such automatons. @$$$$:.¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨.««$& if you stay above absolute madness, &$««.¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨««$ had. you could slip into your ideal dog #&$««¨¨¨¨¨
¨.«:$$&@## 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. ##@&$$:«.¨
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¨¨¨¨..:$&& ¨# ¨# ¨# ¨# ¨# ¨# ¨# ¨# ¨# ¨# ¨# &&$:..¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨..:$ «« sting, a sting, a sting. «« #&$:..¨¨¨¨
¨.«:$$&@## :¨ 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. @@@&$$:«.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«$& (or do) &$«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨.«$$@ 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 @$$«¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨..:$@ other ways as well. @$:..¨¨¨¨¨
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