¨¨#¨¨¨¨##¨ ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨¨#
#¨¨#¨¨¨##¨ #¨¨#¨¨#¨¨¨
¨#¨¨#¨¨### ¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨¨
¨¨#¨¨#¨#¨# ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨
¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨# ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#
#¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨# ¨¨¨^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^¨¨¨ #¨¨¨#¨¨#¨¨
¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨ ¨^: 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..... ^~¨ ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨¨#¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨###¨¨¨#
¨###¨¨¨#¨¨ ¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨
¨#¨##¨¨¨#¨ ¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨
¨¨¨###¨¨¨# ¨¨¨¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨###
#¨¨¨¨###¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨#