@#§=^^,,,, ,,,,^^=§#@
###@#%\=^, ,^=\%#@###
##§\==^,,, ,,,^==\§##
#§§§=^,,,, ,,,,^=§§§#
@%\\^,,,,, ,,,,,^\\%@
###@#%\=^, 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. ,^=\§%@###
##@#%§\=^, ,^=\§%#@##
##@#%§\=^, ,^=\§%#@##
##@#%§\=^, ,^=\§%#@##
##@#%§\=^, ,^=\§%#@##
##@#%§\=^, ,^=\§%#@##