###&@=*»,.                                          .,»*=@&###
&&&@@=*»,.                                          .,»*=@@&&&
##@&@=*»,.                                          .,»*=@&@##
&@*»......                                          ......»*@&
##@&@=*»,.                                          .,»*=@&@##
##@&@=*»,. i fall  asleep  in the wrong  throat and .,»*=@&@##
#&@=»..... is  not so much dreaming as being forced .....»=@&#
&&@=*,,,..         to imagine a scenario...         ..,,,*=@&&
&@===»,...                                          ...,»===@&
@&&=»,....           .,»*=@&@####@&@=*»,.           ....,»=&&@
###@&@*»,. ........,,,,,,»»*=@&&@=*»»,,,,,,........ .,»*@&@###
@@=»»..... ,,,,,»»»»»***==@@@&@@&@@@==***»»»»»,,,,, .....»»=@@
###@&@=*,. ........,,,,,,»»*=@&&@=*»»,,,,,,........ .,*=@&@###
&&@**,....           .,»*=@&@####@&@=*»,.           ....,**@&&
##@&@=*»,.                                          .,»*=@&@##
@@@&@=*»,.            big halls, arcades,           .,»*=@&@@@
@&&@@=*»,.          filled with characters.         .,»*=@@&&@
##@&@=*»,.                                          .,»*=@&@##
##@&@=*»,. i get instructions for  them, for what i .,»*=@&@##
##@&@=*»,. must imagine them doing  or saying. they .,»*=@&@##
&==*,..... have  some  agency,  but  not  while i'm .....,*==&
@@&@*»»,..   looking. the instructions are beamed   ..,»»*@&@@
@@**,,,,.. into  my  mind, spoken  from  a god,  or ..,,,,**@@
##@&@=*»,.             false demiurge.              .,»*=@&@##
##@&@=*»,.                                          .,»*=@&@##
&@*»...... sometimes i'm  too slow and fail to make ......»*@&
#@@**,,,.. them  do   what  i'm  instructed  before ..,,,**@@#
&&&&@=*»,. time's out, and then they get  punished. .,»*=@&&&&
##@&@=*»,.                                          .,»*=@&@##
##@&@=*»,. one  of them  got his vocabulary  shrunk .,»*=@&@##
#&@=*,,... down to  only the  word he failed to say ...,,*=@&#
@@@@*,....     (roofs? rufus?), many were just      ....,*@@@@
@@@=*»»...            physically maimed.            ...»»*=@@@
##@&@=*»,.                                          .,»*=@&@##
###&@=*»,. it   all   was    very   stressful   and .,»*=@&###
&@@**».... repulsive.  it felt like a nightmare, or ....»**@@&
@@@&@=*»,.               fever dream.               .,»*=@&@@@
#&&&@=*»,.                                          .,»*=@&&&#
@@@@**»,,. i   haven't   tried   to   sleep   since .,,»**@@@@
#&&@=*»»,.                                          .,»»*=@&&#
##@&@=*»,.                                          .,»*=@&@##
##@&@=*»,.                                          .,»*=@&@##
&&@=».....                                          .....»=@&&
##@&@=*»,.                                          .,»*=@&@##
&&&=*,,,..                                          ..,,,*=&&&