......^=†£                                          £†=^......
.....^=†££                                          ££†=^.....
....^=†£££                                          £££†=^....
...^=†£££#                                          #£££†=^...
..^=†£££##                                          ##£££†=^..
.^=†£££### ...^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^... ###£££†=^.
..^=†£££## .^:            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.....            ^=. ##£££†=^..
...^=†£££# ...^^^::::::::::::::::::::::::::::^^^... #£££†=^...
....^=†£££                                          £££†=^....
.....^=†££                                          ££†=^.....
......^=†£                                          £†=^......
.......^=†                                          †=^.......
........^=                                          =^........