&&&*~..... .....~*&&&
#&%%==,... ...,==%%
&%===~~,,. .,,~~===%&
###&%*=~,. .,~=*%##
##&%==~... ...~==%#
###&%*=~,. 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. .,~=*%&#
&%*==~~... ...~~==*%&
#&%%%*=~,. .,~=*%%%
###&%*=~,. .,~=*%##
#&&*~~~... ...~~~*&
#&%*==,... ...,==*%