..~*%*&£## ##£&*%*~..
...~*%*&£# #£&*%*~...
....~*%*&£ £&*%*~....
.....~*%*& &*%*~.....
......~*%* *%*~......
.......~*% TRAIN DREAM %*~.......
......~*%* ######.....~....##################### *%*~......
.....~*%*& *** &*%*~.....
....~*%*&£ ~ £&*%*~....
...~*%*&£# ~ #£&*%*~...
..~*%*&£## ##£&*%*~..
...~*%*&£# (SITUATION) #£&*%*~...
....~*%*&£ £&*%*~....
.....~*%*& YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A RIFT - A &*%*~.....
......~*%* CLEARING, NARROW BUT IMMEASURABLY LONG. *%*~......
.......~*% TO YOUR SIDES ARE WALLS MADE OF TREES, %*~.......
......~*%* THICK AND READY TO SWALLOW YOU. THE SUN *%*~......
.....~*%*& IS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN, BUT NONTHELESS &*%*~.....
....~*%*&£ IT IS VERY BRIGHT - THE AIR FEELS LIGHT £&*%*~....
...~*%*&£# BLUE, ALMOST WHITE. #£&*%*~...
..~*%*&£## ##£&*%*~..
...~*%*&£# ALONG THE SPAN OF THE CLEARING LAY TWO #£&*%*~...
....~*%*&£ PARALLEL SILVERY LINES, DARK HARD £&*%*~....
.....~*%*& METAL. SOMEHOW YOU CAN SEE HOW HEAVY &*%*~.....
......~*%* THEY ARE. *%*~......
.......~*% %*~.......
......~*%* THEY EMIT A HIGH PITCHED WHINE... *%*~......
.....~*%*& &*%*~.....
....~*%*&£ ~ £&*%*~....
...~*%*&£# ..%.. #£&*%*~...
..~*%*&£## ~ ##£&*%*~..
...~*%*&£# #£&*%*~...
....~*%*&£ (SITUATION) £&*%*~....
.....~*%*& &*%*~.....
......~*%* YOURE AT THE TRAIN STATION, ON A *%*~......
.......~*% CATWALK ABOVE THE RAILS. YOUR TRAIN IS %*~.......
......~*%* LATE, OR YOU ARE LATE TO THE TRAIN. *%*~......
.....~*%*& IT'S A SUMMER AFTERNOON AND THE STATION &*%*~.....
....~*%*&£ IS BUSY, FULL OF RELAXED CONFIDENCE. £&*%*~....
...~*%*&£# #£&*%*~...
..~*%*&£## YOU'RE IN HIGH SPIRITS, ALTHOUGH A BIT ##£&*%*~..
...~*%*&£# STRESSED ABOUT THE TIME, WHILE MOVING #£&*%*~...
....~*%*&£ UP THE STAIRS TO YOUR PLATFORM. THE £&*%*~....
.....~*%*& STATION IS IN SEVERAL LEVELS, ALL &*%*~.....
......~*%* PLACED WITHIN EACHOTHER BY SOME *%*~......
.......~*% INTELLIGENT DESIGNER, AND FULL OF %*~.......
......~*%* STAIRS, ELEVATORS, SHORTCUTS, *%*~......
.....~*%*& BAZAARS... YOU SIGHT YOUR TRAIN THROUGH &*%*~.....
....~*%*&£ SOME GLASS WINDOWS. IT'S... NOT WHERE £&*%*~....
...~*%*&£# IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE? #£&*%*~...
..~*%*&£## ##£&*%*~..
...~*%*&£# ~ #£&*%*~...
....~*%*&£ ..*.. £&*%*~....
.....~*%*& ~ &*%*~.....
......~*%* *%*~......
.......~*% (SITUATION) %*~.......
......~*%* *%*~......
.....~*%*& YOU'RE FINALLY ENTERING THE CITY. WHILE &*%*~.....
....~*%*&£ IT IS INDEED A VERY HIGH SPEED TRAIN £&*%*~....
...~*%*&£# YOU'RE TRAVELING IN, THE JOURNEY HAS #£&*%*~...
..~*%*&£## BEEN LONG. BUT IT'S ABOUT TO END! ##£&*%*~..
...~*%*&£# #£&*%*~...
....~*%*&£ SOCIETY IS GROWING DENSER AROUND YOU, £&*%*~....
.....~*%*& THROUGH THE WINDOWS YOU SEE FIRST SMALL &*%*~.....
......~*%* SHACKS, BUILT OF METAL AND STONE, THEN *%*~......
.......~*% PROPER HOUSES WITH MORTAR TO KEEP THEM %*~.......
......~*%* TOGETHER... WHO IN TURN MAKE WAY FOR *%*~......
.....~*%*& THE INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS, THE URBAN &*%*~.....
....~*%*&£ MAZE, PROTECTIVE WALLS, JUNGLE £&*%*~....
...~*%*&£# NETWORK... #£&*%*~...
..~*%*&£## ##£&*%*~..
...~*%*&£# THE TRACKS LEAVE THE GROUND, WHICH IS #£&*%*~...
....~*%*&£ NEEDED FOR OTHER PURPOSES. YOU ARE £&*%*~....
.....~*%*& CARRIED GENTLY, CURVING UPWARDS UNTIL &*%*~.....
......~*%* YOU'RE MOVING UPWARD ALONG THE WALL OF *%*~......
.......~*% A BUILDING. IT'S MADE OF SLABBY STONE, %*~.......
......~*%* WITH GREAT GLASSLESS WINDOW HOLES *%*~......
.....~*%*& LOOKING OUT THE WAY YOU CAME. IT IS &*%*~.....
....~*%*&£ PITCH BLACK INSIDE. £&*%*~....
...~*%*&£# #£&*%*~...
..~*%*&£## ##£&*%*~..
...~*%*&£# #£&*%*~...
....~*%*&£ £&*%*~....
.....~*%*& &*%*~.....