¨-=\^%§#@#                                          #@#§%^\=-¨
¨¨¨¨-\^§§#                                          #§§^\-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨=\^^^§#                                          #§^^^\=¨¨¨
¨¨¨-==\^§§                                          §§^\==-¨¨¨
¨-=\^%§#@#                                          #@#§%^\=-¨
¨-=\^%§#@# ¨¨¨---\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\---¨¨¨ #@#§%^\=-¨
¨-=\^%§#@# ¨-\            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.....             -=¨ §^\====-¨¨
¨-=\^%§#@# ¨¨¨---\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\---¨¨¨ #@#§%^\=-¨
¨-=\^%§#@@                                          @@#§%^\=-¨
¨¨¨-\^%§§§                                          §§§%^\-¨¨¨
¨-===\\\%#                                          #%\\\===-¨
¨¨¨-\^%§§@                                          @§§%^\-¨¨¨
¨-=\^%#@##                                          ##@#%^\=-¨