:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«
=«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«=
*=«:¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«=*
%*=«:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:«=*%
@%*=«:¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«=*
%*=«:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:«=*%
@%*=«:¨¨¨¨ # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ##### ### ¨¨¨¨:«=*%@
#@%*=«:¨¨¨ ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ##### ### ¨¨¨:«=*%@#
##@%*=«:¨¨ ### ### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ¨¨:«=*%@##
###@%*=«:¨ #### #### #### #### #### #### #### #### ¨:«=*%@###
##@%*=«:¨¨ ###### ###### ###### ###### ###### ¨¨:«=*%@##
#@%*=«:¨¨¨ ###### ###### ###### ###### ###### ¨¨¨:«=*%@#
@%*=«:¨¨¨¨ ###### ###### ######## ######## ¨¨¨¨:«=*%@
%*=«:¨¨¨¨¨ ######## ######## ######## ######## ¨¨¨¨¨:«=*%
*=«:¨¨¨¨¨¨ ######## ######## ######## ######## ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«=*
=«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ######## ######## :::::::::::::::::: ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«=
«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :::: :::: :::: :::: :::: :::: :::: :::: ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :::: :::: :::: ¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«
=«:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:«=
*=«:¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ :¨ :¨ :¨ :¨ :¨ :¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«=*
%*=«:¨¨¨¨¨ :¨ :¨ :¨ :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ¨¨¨¨¨:«=*%
@%*=«:¨¨¨¨ :: :: :« :« :« :« :« :« :« :« := := := ¨¨¨¨:«=*%@
#@%*=«:¨¨¨ := :* :* :% :£ :@ :# :# «¨ «: «« «= «* ¨¨¨:«=*%@#
##@%*=«:¨¨ «% «£ «@ «# «# =¨ =: =« == =* =% =£ =@ ¨¨:«=*%@##
###@%*=«:¨ =# =# *¨ *: *« *= ** *% *£ *@ *# *# %¨ ¨:«=*%@###
##@%*=«:¨¨ %: %« %= %* %% %£ %@ %# %# £¨ £: £« £= ¨¨:«=*%@##
#@%*=«:¨¨¨ £* £% ££ £@ £# £# @¨ @: @« @= @* @% @£ ¨¨¨:«=*%@#
@%*=«:¨¨¨¨ @@ @# @# #¨ #: #« #= #* #% #£ #@ ## ## ¨¨¨¨:«=*%@
%*=«:¨¨¨¨¨ #¨ #: #« #= #* #% #£ #@ ¨¨¨¨¨:«=*%
*=«:¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨:«=*%@#
##@%*=«:¨¨ ¨¨:«=*%@##
###@%*=«:¨ ¨:«=*%@###
##@%*=«:¨¨ ¨¨:«=*%@##
#@%*=«:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:«=*%@#
@%*=«:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:«=*%@