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* THE GLASS FACTORY. *
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#@@¤$*/=.¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ ** ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ ** ** ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ ======= * * ======= ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ ======= * * ======= ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ BECOME STILL. ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ ** ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ ** ** ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ ======= * * ======= ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ ** ** ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ ** ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
#@@¤$*/=.¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨.=/*$¤@@#
@@¤$*/=.¨¨ ¨¨.=/*$¤@@
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
*/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/*
$*/=.¨¨¨¨¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨¨¨¨¨.=/*$
¤$*/=.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.=/*$¤
@¤$*/=.¨¨¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨¨¨.=/*$¤@
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