.,«;;;%%@@                                          @@%%;;;«,.
.,«;$%#@##                                          ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@##                                          ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@##                                          ##@#%$;«,.
..,««;;;%@                                          @%;;;««,..
.,«;$%###@ ...,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,... @###%$;«,.
.,«;$$$%#@ .,;            THE  SPIRE            «;. @#%$$$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## «;,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««;«, ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@@# ;«, ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A    ;,« #@@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## ;,«  BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL ,;« ##@#%$;«,.
.,««««$### ,;«  ABOVE OUR TALLEST TREES. IT WAS ,«; ###$««««,.
.,«;$%#@## ,«; CLAD IN WHITE SCALES, AND SHAPED «,; ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%%%## «,;        LIKED  A  MUSHROOM.       «;, ##%%%$;«,.
.,«;$%%%## «;,      WE  LOVED  IT  DEARLY.      ;«, ##%%%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## ;«,««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««;,« ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## ;,«  IT PREDATED US  BY MANY YEARS,  ,;« ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%##@@ ,;« AND WE DID NOT KNOW ITS ORIGINAL ,«; @@##%$;«,.
.,«;$%@### ,«;  BUILDERS.  THEY  HAD USED  ITS  «,; ###@%$;«,.
.....«$##@ «,;  HOLLOW BODY  FOR  MANY  STRANGE «;, @##$«.....
.,«;$#@### «;,  PURPOSES - A WOMBLIKE  PLACE OF ;«, ###@#$;«,.
...,;;;;$# ;«,  GESTATION, A  STORAGE OF STRAGE ;,« #$;;;;,...
......,«$# ;,« FLUIDS, A TEMPLE TO SOME KIND OF ,;« #$«,......
.,«;$%@### ,;«    ARCANE    DEITY.              ,«; ###@%$;«,.
.,«;$$%### ,«;«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««,; ###%$$;«,.
.,,,,,;;$# «,;  WE  WERE   GRATEFUL   FOR  ITS  «;, #$;;,,,,,.
.,«;$%#@## «;,  PRESENCE, AND HONORED  IT  THE  ;«, ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## ;«,  ONLY  WAY  WE  KNEW  HOW:   BY  ;,« ##@#%$;«,.
.,««««$### .,«        BREAKING        IN.       ,«. ###$««««,.
.,«;$%#@## ...,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,... ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%##@@                                          @@##%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@##                                          ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## ...,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,... ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@## .«; THIS  PLACE  WE CALLED OUR CITY: ,;« ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@@@ ,;«  WAVY  AND  FRACTURED, WITH EACH ;,« @@@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#### ;,« COURTYARD ON A DIFFERENT HEIGHT, ;«, ####%$;«,.
.....,;%@# ;«,  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.....             ,«. @%%%;«,,..
.,«;$%###@ ...,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,... @###%$;«,.
......«$$#                                          #$$«......
.,«;$%#@##                                          ##@#%$;«,.
.....,,;%#                                          #%;,,.....
.,«;$%#@##                                          ##@#%$;«,.
.,«;$%#@##                                          ##@#%$;«,.