..@@@..@@@ ..@@.@.@@@
.@..@.@..@ .@.@@@@..@
@@.@@@@.@@ @@@...@.@@
.@@...@@.@ ..@..@@@..
@.@..@.@@. .@@.@..@..
@@@.@@@.@@ they built the final nightclub on top @.@@@.@@.@
..@@..@@.@ of an undocumented research site. each @@..@@.@@.
.@.@.@.@@. floor closer to the collapsed warp .@.@.@@.@.
@@@@@@@.@@ prototype. did they know at the start? @@@@@.@@@.
......@@.. classified maps had gone missing some ....@@..@@
.....@.@.@ years before. ...@.@.@.@
....@@@@@. ..@@@@@@@@
...@....@. the deeper you descend, the stranger .@.......@
..@@...@@@ the environment - first more @@......@@
.@.@..@..@ enthralling and intrusive, then seedy .@.....@.@
@@@@.@@.@. and predatory, but pierce deeper and @@....@@@@
...@@.@@@@ there will be more peculiar effects. .@...@....
..@.@@.... your sense of space will seem to @@..@@....
.@@@.@.... distort (it's actually the spacetime .@.@.@....
@..@@@...@ itself that is becoming fluid), then @@@@@@....
@.@..@..@. your body, and finally your sense of .....@...@
@@@.@@.@@. self. ....@@..@.
..@@.@@.@@ ...@.@.@@@
.@.@@.@@.@ # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ##### ### ..@@@@@..@
@@@.@@.@@. ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ##### ### .@....@.@@
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.@.@@.@@@. #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### .@..@..@..
@@@.@@..@. ###### ###### ###### ###### ###### @@.@@.@@..
..@@.@.@@@ ###### ###### ###### ###### ###### .@@.@@.@.@
.@.@@@@... ###### ###### ######## ######## @.@@.@@@@@
@@@...@... ######## ######## ######## ######## @@.@@....@
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.@@.@.@.@@ ######## ######## ------------------ @.@@@..@@.
@.@@@@@@.. ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- @@..@.@.@.
@@.....@.@ ---- ---- ---- ...... ...... ...... .@.@@@@@@@
.@....@@@@ ...... ...... ...... ..... ..... ..... @@@.......
@@...@...@ ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ....... ..@.......
.@..@@..@@ ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... .@@......@
@@.@.@.@.@ ....... ...... ...... ...... ...... @.@.....@@
.@@@@@@@@. ...... ...... ...... -. -. -. -. -. -. @@@....@..
@.......@@ -. -. -. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ..@...@@..
@......@.. -- -- -« -« -« -« -« -« -« -« -/ -/ -/ .@@..@.@.@
@.....@@.. -/ -† -† -£ -@ -# -@ -# «. «- «« «/ «† @.@.@@@@@.
@....@.@.. «£ «@ «# «@ «# /. /- /« // /† /£ /@ /# @@@@....@@
@...@@@@.@ /@ /# †. †- †« †/ †† †£ †@ †# †@ †# £. ...@...@..
@..@...@@@ £- £« £/ £† ££ £@ £# £@ £# @. @- @« @/ ..@@..@@.@
@.@@..@..@ @† @£ @@ @# @@ @# #. #- #« #/ #† #£ #@ .@.@.@.@@.
@@.@.@@.@. ## #@ ## @. @- @« @/ @† @£ @@ @# @@ @# @@@@@@@.@@
.@@@@.@@@. #. #- #« #/ #† #£ #@ ## ......@@..
@...@@..@. the ceiling is covered in actual stars. .....@.@..
@..@.@.@@. eyes above ....@@@@.@
@.@@@@@.@. fading into silver flakes as they fall ...@...@@.
@@....@@@@ bubbles in drinks ..@@..@.@@
.@...@.... .@.@.@@@..
@@..@@.... drinks with a secret ingredient, that @@@@@..@..
.@.@.@.... makes you see the stars even when you ....@.@@.@
@@@@@@.... close your eyes. ...@@@.@@@
.....@...@ ..@..@@...
....@@..@. at these deeper levels it can be hard .@@.@.@...
...@.@.@@@ to remember who and where you are @.@@@@@...
..@@@@@... (were). normal staff is as transformed @@....@...
.@....@... as guests. instead, care and protection .@...@@...
@@...@@... are offered by (overly flirty) @@..@.@...
.@..@.@..@ pool toys and other such automatons. .@.@@@@..@
@@.@@@@.@@ @@@...@.@@
.@@...@@.@ if you stay above absolute madness, ..@..@@@..
@.@..@.@@. there is some sort of control to be .@@.@..@..
@@@.@@@.@@ had. you could slip into your ideal dog @.@@@.@@.@
..@@..@@.@ body there, explore that. you could @@..@@.@@.
.@.@.@.@@. drink poisonous ambrosia and not be .@.@.@@.@.
@@@@@@@.@@ burned away. you could explore @@@@@.@@@.
......@@.. territories just as mapless as those ....@@..@@
.....@.@.@ closer to the core, but with a chance ...@.@.@.@
....@@@@@. of finding your way back. ..@@@@@@@@
...@....@. .@.......@
..@@...@@@ .# .# .# .# .# .# .# .# .# .# .# @@......@@
.@.@..@..@ -- the honey is a trap and there's a -- .@.....@.@
@@@@.@@.@. «« sting, a sting, a sting. «« @@....@@@@
...@@.@@@@ /. it's in your eyes and it's in your ./ .@...@....
..@.@@.... †- mouth and your hands, their hands -† @@..@@....
.@@@.@.... £« it's in your heart and in your «£ .@.@.@....
@..@@@...@ @/ mind and the minds of those around /@ @@@@@@....
@.@..@..@. #† you, their hearts, their bodies. †# .....@...@
@@@.@@.@@. @£ @£ @£ @£ @£ @£ @£ @£ @£ @£ @£ ....@@..@.
..@@.@@.@@ and if you're lucky, you'll never get ...@.@.@@@
.@.@@.@@.@ out. don't bite the other guests. ..@@@@@..@
@@@.@@.@@. (or do) .@....@.@@
..@@.@@.@. @@...@@@..
.@.@@.@@@. the deeper the floor goes, the more .@..@..@..
@@@.@@..@. expensive the drinks. this is not @@.@@.@@..
..@@.@.@@@ coincidental. the more expensive the .@@.@@.@.@
.@.@@@@... drinks, the more likely it is that @.@@.@@@@@
@@@...@... someone will buy them for you. @@.@@....@
..@..@@..@ this is also not coincidental. if .@@.@...@.
.@@.@.@.@@ someone buys you a drink, they are very @.@@@..@@.
@.@@@@@@.. likely to take care of your needs in @@..@.@.@.
@@.....@.@ other ways as well. .@.@@@@@@@
.@....@@@@ @@@.......
@@...@...@ ..@.......
.@..@@..@@ .@@......@
@@.@.@.@.@ @.@.....@@
.@@@@@@@@. @@@....@..