Let me tell you a bit more about the most distinct feature of this strange new world. The intricate system of interconnected pipes that made the clocks tick, the people breathe, and their hearts beat. I don’t know how it works, but everything was connected to these pipes. This world was in a constant state of flow.
Each transport pipe had something called a conductor. These people were responsible for keeping order inside the pipes. They controlled the masses and assigned commuters to their spot, ensuring the space was used to its fullest potential.
My first clash with this absurd method of transportation is one I’ll likely never forget. Upon entering the pipe, the conductor gestured toward my place. Seconds later, water began to flow through the pipe, rapidly filling the space around my feet. As the pipe propelled itself into the sky, the water didn’t slosh or spill, but instead, formed a sort of rapid stream, flowing in sync with the pipe’s movement.
I can’t begin to tell you how the aerodynamics of these flying pipes worked, simply because their existence defies the very foundations of physics. There was no sense of motion. As the pipes lifted into the sky, it felt as if the surrounding world shifted and flowed, while I stayed perfectly still. There were no sounds, not even slight vibrations. Nothing. It was like watching a movie of a journey you didn’t make.
But then, once I arrived at my destination and emerged from the pipe, my surroundings had actually changed. I found my feet back on solid ground, but my sense of reality was permanently suspended, as if still flowing in that airborne stream.
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You are currently traveling through the 1990s nightmare of Pipedreams. Each narrative fragment in this collection unravels a peculiar memory of a man drawn into an alternate reality by a looming figure in a suit. In this world, the mundane is flipped on its head as giant pipes carry more than just water. These tales offer a glimpse into this bizarre dimension, both infinitely monotonous and threatening at once. Based on a true story.
