...-«/$*@# #@*$/«-...
....-«/$*@ @*$/«-....
.....-«/$* *$/«-.....
......-«/$ $/«-......
.......-«/ /«-.......
........-« TRAIN DREAM «-........
.........- ######....-«--..##################### -.........
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.........- « -.........
........-« « «-........
.......-«/ /«-.......
......-«/$ (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 $/«-......
.......-«/ PARALLEL SILVERY LINES, DARK HARD /«-.......
........-« METAL. SOMEHOW YOU CAN SEE HOW HEAVY «-........
.........- THEY ARE. -.........
.......... ..........
.........- THEY EMIT A HIGH PITCHED WHINE... -.........
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.......-«/ « /«-.......
......-«/$ ..$.. $/«-......
.....-«/$* « *$/«-.....
....-«/$*@ @*$/«-....
...-«/$*@# (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, $/«-......
.......-«/ WITH GREAT GLASSLESS WINDOW HOLES /«-.......
........-« LOOKING OUT THE WAY YOU CAME. IT IS «-........
.........- PITCH BLACK INSIDE. -.........
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......-«/$ $/«-......