00000000: 00 10 38 09 03 0C 01 09 00 C7 06 52 06 54 68 72 |..8........R.Thr|
00000010: 6F 75 67 68 20 74 68 65 20 72 6F 6F 66 20 79 6F |ough the roof yo|
00000020: 75 20 73 65 65 20 74 68 65 20 70 6C 61 6E 65 74 |u see the planet|
00000030: 61 72 69 75 6D 2D 6C 69 6B 65 20 69 6E 74 65 72 |arium-like inter|
00000040: 69 6F 72 20 6F 66 20 74 68 69 73 20 62 75 69 6C |ior of this buil|
00000050: 64 69 6E 67 2E 20 41 20 74 68 72 65 65 2D 64 69 |ding. A three-di|
00000060: 6D 65 6E 73 69 6F 6E 61 6C 20 73 74 61 72 20 6D |mensional star m|
00000070: 61 70 20 70 69 6E 70 6F 69 6E 74 73 20 63 65 72 |ap pinpoints cer|
00000080: 74 61 69 6E 20 73 74 61 72 20 73 79 73 74 65 6D |tain star system|
00000090: 73 2E 20 54 68 65 69 72 20 73 69 67 6E 69 66 69 |s. Their signifi|
000000A0: 63 61 6E 63 65 20 69 73 20 70 65 72 68 61 70 73 |cance is perhaps|
000000B0: 20 6B 6E 6F 77 6E 20 6F 6E 6C 79 20 74 6F 20 74 | known only to t|
000000C0: 68 65 20 52 61 6D 61 6E 73 2E 00 54 68 69 73 20 |he Ramans..This |
000000D0: 62 75 69 6C 64 69 6E 67 20 63 6F 6E 74 61 69 6E |building contain|
000000E0: 73 20 61 20 66 6F 72 65 73 74 20 6F 66 20 67 6C |s a forest of gl|
000000F0: 61 73 73 20 70 69 6C 6C 61 72 73 2E 20 42 75 74 |ass pillars. But|
00000100: 20 69 66 20 79 6F 75 20 6D 6F 76 65 20 79 6F 75 | if you move you|
00000110: 72 20 68 65 61 64 20 73 6C 69 67 68 74 6C 79 20 |r head slightly |
00000120: 66 72 6F 6D 20 73 69 64 65 20 74 6F 20 73 69 64 |from side to sid|
00000130: 65 2C 20 6F 62 6A 65 63 74 73 20 65 6D 62 65 64 |e, objects embed|
00000140: 64 65 64 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 63 6F 6C 75 6D |ded in the colum|
00000150: 6E 73 20 66 6C 61 73 68 20 69 6E 74 6F 20 76 69 |ns flash into vi|
00000160: 65 77 3A 20 6D 79 73 74 65 72 69 6F 75 73 20 75 |ew: mysterious u|
00000170: 74 65 6E 73 69 6C 73 20 61 6E 64 20 74 6F 6F 6C |tensils and tool|
00000180: 73 2E 20 49 6E 73 69 64 65 20 6F 6E 65 20 63 6F |s. Inside one co|
00000190: 6C 75 6D 6E 20 69 73 20 61 6E 20 65 6C 61 62 6F |lumn is an elabo|
000001A0: 72 61 74 65 20 68 61 72 6E 65 73 73 2C 20 6F 72 |rate harness, or|
000001B0: 20 75 6E 69 66 6F 72 6D 2C 20 6F 62 76 69 6F 75 | uniform, obviou|
000001C0: 73 6C 79 20 6D 61 64 65 20 66 6F 72 20 61 20 76 |sly made for a v|
000001D0: 65 72 74 69 63 61 6C 6C 79 20 73 74 61 6E 64 69 |ertically standi|
000001E0: 6E 67 20 63 72 65 61 74 75 72 65 20 6D 75 63 68 |ng creature much|
000001F0: 20 74 61 6C 6C 65 72 20 74 68 61 6E 20 61 20 6D | taller than a m|
00000200: 61 6E 2E 00 20 41 20 6D 65 74 61 6C 20 62 61 6E |an.. A metal ban|
00000210: 64 20 63 6F 6E 6E 65 63 74 73 20 6C 6F 6F 70 73 |d connects loops|
00000220: 20 6F 62 76 69 6F 75 73 6C 79 20 69 6E 74 65 6E | obviously inten|
00000230: 64 65 64 20 74 6F 20 67 6F 20 61 72 6F 75 6E 64 |ded to go around|
00000240: 20 75 70 70 65 72 20 61 72 6D 73 20 6F 72 20 6C | upper arms or l|
00000250: 69 6D 62 73 20 2D 2D 20 74 68 72 65 65 20 6F 66 |imbs -- three of|
00000260: 20 74 68 65 6D 2E 20 4E 75 6D 65 72 6F 75 73 20 | them. Numerous |
00000270: 70 6F 75 63 68 65 73 20 61 6E 64 20 62 75 63 6B |pouches and buck|
00000280: 6C 65 73 20 68 61 6E 67 20 66 72 6F 6D 20 61 6E |les hang from an|
00000290: 6F 74 68 65 72 20 62 61 6E 64 20 65 76 69 64 65 |other band evide|
000002A0: 6E 74 6C 79 20 75 73 65 64 20 74 6F 20 65 6E 63 |ntly used to enc|
000002B0: 69 72 63 6C 65 20 74 68 65 20 77 65 61 72 65 72 |ircle the wearer|
000002C0: 27 73 20 6D 69 64 73 65 63 74 69 6F 6E 2E 00 4F |'s midsection..O|
000002D0: 6E 20 74 68 65 20 66 6C 6F 6F 72 20 69 6E 73 69 |n the floor insi|
000002E0: 64 65 20 74 68 65 20 62 75 69 6C 64 69 6E 67 20 |de the building |
000002F0: 74 68 65 72 65 20 61 72 65 20 74 68 72 65 65 20 |there are three |
00000300: 67 6C 61 73 73 2D 74 6F 70 70 65 64 2C 20 72 65 |glass-topped, re|
00000310: 63 74 61 6E 67 75 6C 61 72 20 62 6F 78 65 73 2E |ctangular boxes.|
00000320: 20 45 61 63 68 20 6F 6E 65 20 63 6F 6E 74 61 69 | Each one contai|
00000330: 6E 73 20 74 68 72 65 65 20 6D 6F 72 65 20 67 6C |ns three more gl|
00000340: 61 73 73 20 74 6F 70 70 65 64 2C 20 72 65 63 74 |ass topped, rect|
00000350: 61 6E 67 75 6C 61 72 20 62 6F 78 65 73 2E 20 59 |angular boxes. Y|
00000360: 6F 75 20 63 61 6E 6E 6F 74 20 6D 61 6B 65 20 6F |ou cannot make o|
00000370: 75 74 20 77 68 61 74 20 69 73 20 69 6E 73 69 64 |ut what is insid|
00000380: 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 6F 73 65 2E 00 54 68 65 20 |e of those..The |
00000390: 66 6C 6F 6F 72 20 6F 66 20 74 68 69 73 20 62 75 |floor of this bu|
000003A0: 69 6C 64 69 6E 67 20 69 73 20 70 6F 6C 69 73 68 |ilding is polish|
000003B0: 65 64 20 61 6E 64 20 61 73 20 72 65 66 6C 65 63 |ed and as reflec|
000003C0: 74 69 76 65 20 61 73 20 61 20 6D 69 72 72 6F 72 |tive as a mirror|
000003D0: 2E 20 49 6E 20 69 74 20 79 6F 75 20 73 65 65 20 |. In it you see |
000003E0: 61 20 73 70 61 63 65 2D 73 75 69 74 65 64 20 73 |a space-suited s|
000003F0: 75 72 76 65 79 20 63 72 61 66 74 20 63 61 70 74 |urvey craft capt|
00000400: 61 69 6E 2C 20 70 65 65 72 69 6E 67 20 61 74 20 |ain, peering at |
00000410: 79 6F 75 20 77 69 74 68 20 69 6E 74 65 6E 73 65 |you with intense|
00000420: 20 63 6F 6E 63 65 6E 74 72 61 74 69 6F 6E 2E 00 | concentration..|
00000430: 57 69 74 68 69 6E 20 74 68 69 73 20 62 75 69 6C |Within this buil|
00000440: 64 69 6E 67 20 79 6F 75 20 73 65 65 20 68 75 6E |ding you see hun|
00000450: 64 72 65 64 73 20 6F 66 20 72 6F 77 73 20 6F 66 |dreds of rows of|
00000460: 20 73 6D 61 6C 6C 20 73 70 68 65 72 65 73 2E 20 | small spheres. |
00000470: 45 61 63 68 20 73 70 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 63 |Each sphere is c|
00000480: 6F 76 65 72 65 64 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 6F 75 |overed with thou|
00000490: 73 61 6E 64 73 20 6F 66 20 73 6D 61 6C 6C 20 6C |sands of small l|
000004A0: 69 67 68 74 73 20 61 72 72 61 6E 67 65 64 20 69 |ights arranged i|
000004B0: 6E 20 74 72 69 61 6E 67 75 6C 61 72 20 63 6C 75 |n triangular clu|
000004C0: 73 74 65 72 73 2E 20 54 68 65 73 65 20 6C 69 67 |sters. These lig|
000004D0: 68 74 73 20 62 6C 69 6E 6B 20 69 6E 20 65 76 65 |hts blink in eve|
000004E0: 72 79 20 70 6F 73 73 69 62 6C 65 20 63 6F 6D 62 |ry possible comb|
000004F0: 69 6E 61 74 69 6F 6E 2E 00 54 68 69 73 20 62 75 |ination..This bu|
00000500: 69 6C 64 69 6E 67 20 61 70 70 61 72 65 6E 74 6C |ilding apparentl|
00000510: 79 20 63 6F 76 65 72 73 20 74 68 65 20 6F 70 65 |y covers the ope|
00000520: 6E 2C 20 64 69 6D 6C 79 20 6C 69 74 20 73 68 61 |n, dimly lit sha|
00000530: 66 74 77 61 79 20 76 69 73 69 62 6C 65 20 62 65 |ftway visible be|
00000540: 6C 6F 77 2E 20 54 68 65 20 73 68 61 66 74 20 6C |low. The shaft l|
00000550: 6F 6F 6B 73 20 74 6F 20 62 65 20 6D 61 6E 79 20 |ooks to be many |
00000560: 6B 69 6C 6F 6D 65 74 65 72 73 20 64 65 65 70 2E |kilometers deep.|
00000570: 20 49 74 20 62 72 61 6E 63 68 65 73 20 61 77 61 | It branches awa|
00000580: 79 20 69 6E 20 6D 61 6E 79 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 |y in many direct|
00000590: 69 6F 6E 73 2E 00 53 75 73 70 65 6E 64 65 64 20 |ions..Suspended |
000005A0: 61 62 6F 76 65 20 74 68 65 20 66 6C 6F 6F 72 20 |above the floor |
000005B0: 77 69 74 68 69 6E 20 74 68 69 73 20 62 75 69 6C |within this buil|
000005C0: 64 69 6E 67 2C 20 61 72 65 20 74 68 72 65 65 20 |ding, are three |
000005D0: 67 72 65 79 20 63 79 6C 69 6E 64 65 72 73 2E 20 |grey cylinders. |
000005E0: 54 68 65 79 20 61 72 65 20 63 6F 6D 70 6C 65 74 |They are complet|
000005F0: 65 6C 79 20 75 6E 6D 61 72 6B 65 64 2C 20 65 78 |ely unmarked, ex|
00000600: 63 65 70 74 20 66 6F 72 20 73 65 76 65 72 61 6C |cept for several|
00000610: 20 74 69 6E 79 20 70 72 6F 74 72 75 73 69 6F 6E | tiny protrusion|
00000620: 73 20 6F 6E 20 6F 6E 65 20 65 6E 64 20 6F 66 20 |s on one end of |
00000630: 65 61 63 68 2E 20 41 6C 6C 20 74 68 72 65 65 20 |each. All three |
00000640: 63 79 6C 69 6E 64 65 72 73 20 61 72 65 20 72 6F |cylinders are ro|
00000650: 74 61 74 69 6E 67 20 73 6C 6F 77 6C 79 2E 00 08 |tating slowly...|
00000660: 00 00 00 BE 00 F7 01 C2 02 7F 03 23 04 EC 04 89 |...........#....|
00000670: 05 06 11 01 09 01 1B 00 0D 11 08 02 4B 06 11 02 |............K...|
00000680: 0B 01 1B 01 1C 02 0D 11 08 02 3D 06 11 03 09 01 |..........=.....|
00000690: 1B 03 0D 11 08 02 31 06 11 04 09 01 1B 04 0D 11 |......1.........|
000006A0: 08 02 25 06 11 05 09 01 1B 05 0D 11 08 02 19 06 |..%.............|
000006B0: 11 06 09 01 1B 06 0D 11 08 02 0D 06 11 07 09 01 |................|
000006C0: 1B 07 0D 11 08 02 01 00 00 |......... |
..8......G.R.THROUGH THE ROOF YOU SEE TH
E PLANETARIUM-LIKE INTERIOR OF THIS BUIL
DING. A THREE-DIMENSIONAL STAR MAP PINPO
INTS CERTAIN STAR SYSTEMS. THEIR SIGNIFI
CANCE IS PERHAPS KNOWN ONLY TO THE RAMAN
S..THIS BUILDING CONTAINS A FOREST OF GL
ASS PILLARS. BUT IF YOU MOVE YOUR HEAD S
LIGHTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE, OBJECTS EMBED
DED IN THE COLUMNS FLASH INTO VIEW: MYST
ERIOUS UTENSILS AND TOOLS. INSIDE ONE CO
LUMN IS AN ELABORATE HARNESS, OR UNIFORM
, OBVIOUSLY MADE FOR A VERTICALLY STANDI
NG CREATURE MUCH TALLER THAN A MAN.. A M
ETAL BAND CONNECTS LOOPS OBVIOUSLY INTEN
DED TO GO AROUND UPPER ARMS OR LIMBS --
THREE OF THEM. NUMEROUS POUCHES AND BUCK
LES HANG FROM ANOTHER BAND EVIDENTLY USE
D TO ENCIRCLE THE WEARER'S MIDSECTION..O
N THE FLOOR INSIDE THE BUILDING THERE AR
E THREE GLASS-TOPPED, RECTANGULAR BOXES.
EACH ONE CONTAINS THREE MORE GLASS TOPP
ED, RECTANGULAR BOXES. YOU CANNOT MAKE O
UT WHAT IS INSIDE OF THOSE..THE FLOOR OF
THIS BUILDING IS POLISHED AND AS REFLEC
TIVE AS A MIRROR. IN IT YOU SEE A SPACE-
SUITED SURVEY CRAFT CAPTAIN, PEERING AT
YOU WITH INTENSE CONCENTRATION..WITHIN T
HIS BUILDING YOU SEE HUNDREDS OF ROWS OF
SMALL SPHERES. EACH SPHERE IS COVERED W
ITH THOUSANDS OF SMALL LIGHTS ARRANGED I
N TRIANGULAR CLUSTERS. THESE LIGHTS BLIN
K IN EVERY POSSIBLE COMBINATION..THIS BU
ILDING APPARENTLY COVERS THE OPEN, DIMLY
LIT SHAFTWAY VISIBLE BELOW. THE SHAFT L
OOKS TO BE MANY KILOMETERS DEEP. IT BRAN
CHES AWAY IN MANY DIRECTIONS..SUSPENDED
ABOVE THE FLOOR WITHIN THIS BUILDING, AR
E THREE GREY CYLINDERS. THEY ARE COMPLET
ELY UNMARKED, EXCEPT FOR SEVERAL TINY PR
OTRUSIONS ON ONE END OF EACH. ALL THREE
CYLINDERS ARE ROTATING SLOWLY..........B
..#................K.............=.....
......1...........%.....................
.................
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