,^«:*&¶@## ##@¶&*:«^,
,,^«:*&¶@# #@¶&*:«^,,
,,,^«:*&¶@ @¶&*:«^,,,
,,,,^«:*&¶ ¶&*:«^,,,,
,,,,,^«:*& &*:«^,,,,,
,,,,,,^«:* 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. @¶&*:«^,,,
,,^«:*&¶@# #@¶&*:«^,,
,^«:*&¶@## ##@¶&*:«^,
,,^«:*&¶@# #@¶&*:«^,,
,,,^«:*&¶@ @¶&*:«^,,,
,,,,^«:*&¶ ¶&*:«^,,,,