...&&..... ......&&&.
&&....&&&. .&&&&..&..
...&&..&.. ..&&......
&&........ &....&&&&&
&..&&&&&&& ..&&..&&&&
....&&&&&. ...---****************************---... .......&&&
.&&..&&&.. .-* THE SPIRE -*. &&&&&&..&.
......&..& -*-----------------------------------*-- .&&&&.....
&&&&&..... *-- ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A *-- ..&&..&&&&
&&&&..&&&& *-- BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL -*- &......&&&
&&&....&&& -*- ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS --* ..&&&&..&&
&&..&&..&. --* CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED --* ...&&....&
&......... --* LIKED A MUSHROOM. -*- &&....&&..
..&&&&&&&& -*- WE LOVED IT DEARLY. *-- &..&&.....
&..&&&&&&& *------------------------------------*-- ......&&&&
....&&&&&. *-- IT PREDATED US BY MANY YEARS, -*- &&&&&..&&&
.&&..&&&.. -*- AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL --* &&&&....&.
......&..& --* BUILDERS. THEY HAD USED ITS --* &&&..&&...
&&&&&..... --* HOLLOW BODY FOR MANY STRANGE -*- &&......&&
&&&&..&&&& -*- PURPOSES - A WOMBLIKE PLACE OF *-- &..&&&&..&
&&&....&&& *-- GESTATION, A STORAGE OF STRAGE *-- ....&&....
.&..&&..&& *-- FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF -*- .&&....&&.
.........& -*- ARCANE DEITY. --* ....&&....
&&&&&&&&.. --*------------------------------------* .&&....&&&
&&&&&&&..& --* WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR ITS -*- ....&&..&&
&&&&&&.... -*- PRESENCE, AND HONORED IT THE *-- &&&......&
&&&&&..&&. *-- ONLY WAY WE KNEW HOW: BY *-- &&..&&&&..
.&&&...... .-- BREAKING IN. --. &....&&...
..&..&&&&. ...---****************************---... ..&&....&&
......&&.. .....&&...
&&&&&..... &&&&....&&
&&&&..&&&& ...---****************************---... &&&..&&..&
&&&....&&. .-* THIS PLACE WE CALLED OUR CITY: -*- &&........
.&..&&.... -*- WAVY AND FRACTURED, WITH EACH *-- &..&&&&&&.
.......&&. *-- COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, *-- ....&&&&..
&&&&&&.... *-- ROADS BECOMING ROOFS BECOMING -*- &&&..&&..&
&&&&&..&&. -*- DRAINS. AND SOME PLACES, LIKE --* .&........
.&&&...... --* THE SPIRE, NOBODY HAD ACCESSED --* ...&&&&&&.
..&..&&&&& --* FOR MANY YEARS. ONCE ITS WALLS -*- .&..&&&&..
&.....&&&& -*- ARE JUST TOO HIGH, AND THE *-- .....&&..&
..&&&..&&. *-- INTERNAL ROUTES TO LABYRINTHINE, *-- &&&&......
&..&...... *-- A PLACE AMONG OTHERS IS EASILY -*- &&&..&&&&&
.....&&&&. -*- OVERLOOKED. --* &&....&&&&
.&&&..&&.. --*-----------------------------------*- &..&&..&&.
..&....... -*- SO, BASICALLY, THAT SUMMER THE *-- ..........
&...&&&&&& *-- FOUR OF US SNUCK AND CLIMBED AND --* &&&&&&&&&&
..&..&&&&. *-- CRAWLED FOR WEEKS, SEARCHING FOR -*- .&&&&&&&&&
......&&.. -*- A SECLUDED PLACE TO DO DRUGS AND --* ..&&&&&&&.
&&&&&..... --* PLAY MUSIC ON OUR HANDHELDS. --* &..&&&&&..
.&&&..&&&& --* INSTEAD WE FOUND VAST LUNGS -*- ....&&&...
..&....&&. -*- DRAINED OF THEIR CATALYST *-- &&&..&..&&
....&&.... *-- SLUDGE, AND A BIRDS-EYE VIEW TO *-- &&........
&&&....&&& *-- MAKE SENSE OF OUR ROAMINGS FOR -*- &..&&&&&&&
&&..&&..&& -*- YEARS TO COME. --* ....&&&&&&
&........& --*------------------------------------* &&&..&&&&&
..&&&&&&.. --* A CENTRAL SPINE, A STAIRCASE -*- &&....&&&&
...&&&&..& -*- AROUND IT, THE SEVEN TOROIDAL *-- ...&&..&&.
&&..&&.... *-- LUNGS STACKED OUTSIDE, AND THE *-- &&........
.......&&. *-- CONTROL ROOM ON TOP. THE SOCKETS -*- ...&&&&&&.
&&&&&&.... -*- FOR ITS EYES. THE SMALLER SPIRES --* &&..&&&&..
.&&&&..&&. --* FOR RADIATING CONSCIOUSNESS --* .....&&...
..&&...... .-* INVITATIONS. -*. &&&&....&&
.....&&&&& ...---****************************---... .&&..&&...
&&&&..&&&& ........&&
&&&....&&. ...---****************************---... .&&&&&&..&
&&..&&.... .-* IN TWENTY FOURTEEN, THE TOWER IS *-- ..&&&&....
.......&&& -*- TOPPLED AND EATEN BY MACHINES. *-- ...&&..&&.
&&&&&&..&& *-- AFTER A WHILE, SOMETHING NEW IS -*- &&........
.&&&&..... *-- CONJURED IN ITS PLACE. IT'S A --* ...&&&&&&.
..&&..&&&& -*- TINY MAW AT FIRST, SHORTER THAN --* &&..&&&&..
&......&&& --* US, AND WE LET IT BE. OUR -*- .....&&..&
..&&&&..&& --* JOURNEYS STILL END AT ITS FEET. *-- &&&&......
&..&&..... -*-----------------------------------*-- &&&..&&&&&
......&&&& *-- BUT THEN WE ARE BETRAYED. THE -*- &&....&&&&
.&&&&..&&. *-- NEW TOWER EATS US. OTHERS ARE --* &..&&..&&.
..&&...... -*- SUCKED INSIDE. NEW BUILDINGS ARE --* ..........
&....&&&&& --* MANIFESTED OVERNIGHT, ONLY TO -*- &&&&&&&&&&
..&&..&&&& --* DISAPPEAR IN THE EVENING FOG. *-- &&&&&&&&&&
.......&&& -*- FOR A WHILE ITS SOME KIND OF *-- .&&&&&&&&.
&&&&&&..&& *-- TIMESHARE SCAM. GOONS ARE PLACED -*- ..&&&&&&..
.&&&&....& *-- OUTSIDE, AND WE GET BEATEN UP A --* ...&&&&...
..&&..&&.. -*- FEW TIMES, AND STOP GOING. --* &&..&&..&&
.......... --*-----------------------------------*- ..........
&&&&&&&&&& --* IIRC IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED BY *-- &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& -*- SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES *-- &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& *-- IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT -*- &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& .-- CARS..... --. &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& ...---****************************---... &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&