#@#%^*»,.. ..,»*^%#@#
@#%^*»,... ...,»*^%#@
#%^*»,.... ....,»*^%#
%^*»,..... .....,»*^%
^*»,...... ......,»*^
*»,....... ...,,,****************************,,,... .......,»*
»,........ .,* 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..... ,». ........,»
,......... ...,,,****************************,,,... .........,
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
,......... .........,
»,........ ........,»