#@@/...... ....../@@#
##@&@*/«.. ..«/*@&@##
@@@@*/««.. ..««/*@@@@
#&&*«..... .....«*&&#
&*/....... ......./*&
##@&@*/«.. 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. ..«/*@&@##
@@&@@*/«.. ..«/*@@&@@
@@&@*//«.. ..«//*@&@@
##@&@*/«.. ..«/*@&@##
###@&@/«.. ..«/@&@###
&*«....... .......«*&