.......... ..........
........., ,.........
........,~ ~,........
.......,~= =~,.......
......,~=* *=~,......
.....,~=*§ 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. ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
........., ,.........
........,~ ~,........
.......,~= =~,.......