.......^~^ ^~^.......
........^~ ~^........
.......^~^ ^~^.......
......^~^^ ^^~^......
.....^~^^$ $^^~^.....
....^~^^$& 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. ##@&$^^~^.
..^~^^$&@# #@&$^^~^..
...^~^^$&@ @&$^^~^...
....^~^^$& &$^^~^....
.....^~^^$ $^^~^.....
......^~^^ ^^~^......