¨^«/†%@@##                                          ##@@%†/«^¨
¨¨^«/†%@@#                                          #@@%†/«^¨¨
¨¨¨^«/†%@@                                          @@%†/«^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^«/†%@                                          @%†/«^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^«/†%                                          %†/«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^«/† ¨¨¨^^^////////////////////////////^^^¨¨¨ †/«^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«/ ¨^/            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.....             ^«¨ @@%†/«^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^«/†%@ ¨¨¨^^^////////////////////////////^^^¨¨¨ @%†/«^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^«/†%                                          %†/«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^«/†                                          †/«^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«/                                          /«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«                                          «^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«/                                          /«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨