#**==~:... ...:~==**#
##@#£*=~:. .:~=*£#@##
#@#***=~:. .:~=***#@#
@#**=:.... ....:=**#@
#*===:.... ....:===*#
##@#£*=~:. 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. .:~=***#@@
##@#£*=~:. .:~=*£#@##
@£*=::.... ....::=*£@
#*~~...... ......~~*#
####£*=~:. .:~=*£####
@#*~...... ......~*#@