¨,=^*@#### ####@*^=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=*## ##*=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=^*@#### ####@*^=,¨
¨,=^*@#### ####@*^=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨=**@# #@**=¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=^*@#### 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. ####@*^=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,^@# #@^,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,^@@# #@@^,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=^*@#### ####@*^=,¨
¨,=^*@@@@# #@@@@*^=,¨
¨,=^*@#### ####@*^=,¨