,,,,,^»^%* *%^»^,,,,,
,,,,^»^%*¤ ¤*%^»^,,,,
,,,^»^%*¤@ @¤*%^»^,,,
,,^»^%*¤@# #@¤*%^»^,,
,^»^%*¤@## ##@¤*%^»^,
,,^»^%*¤@# 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. @¤*%^»^,,,
,,,,^»^%*¤ ¤*%^»^,,,,
,,,,,^»^%* *%^»^,,,,,
,,,,,,^»^% %^»^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^»^ ^»^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^»^% %^»^,,,,,,