#@#£%=^~:. .:~^=%£#@#
@#£%=^~:.. ..:~^=%£#@
#£%=^~:... ...:~^=%£#
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%=^~:..... .....:~^=%
=^~:...... 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. ...:~^=%£#
@#£%=^~:.. ..:~^=%£#@
#@#£%=^~:. .:~^=%£#@#
@#£%=^~:.. ..:~^=%£#@
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