,,.-;*&# ##&&*;-.,,
,,,.-;*& #&&*;-.,,,
,,,,.-;*&& &&*;-.,,,,
,,,,,.-;*& &*;-.,,,,,
,,,,,,.-;* *;-.,,,,,,
,,,,,.-;*& ,,,...;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;...,,, &*;-.,,,,,
,,,,.-;*&& ,.; 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..... .-, &&*;-.,,,,
,,,.-;*& ,,,...;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;...,,, #&&*;-.,,,
,,.-;*&# ##&&*;-.,,
,.-;*&## ###&&*;-.,
,,.-;*&# ##&&*;-.,,
,,,.-;*& #&&*;-.,,,
,,,,.-;*&& &&*;-.,,,,