,......... .........,
.......... ..........
,......... .........,
=,........ ........,=
:=,....... .......,=:
=:=,...... 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. .....,=:=&
#&=:=,.... ....,=:=&#
##&=:=,... ...,=:=&##
###&=:=,.. ..,=:=&###
####&=:=,. .,=:=&####
###&=:=,.. ..,=:=&###