###&%†*»-. .-»*†%##
@&%*»».... ....»»*%&@
#%*»---... ...---»*%#
##%†*-.... ....-*†%##
&&%%†»--.. ..--»†%%&&
#&†»»».... ...---****************************---... ....»»»†
&†»....... .-* 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..... -». ..-»»»††%&
@@#&%†*»-. ...---****************************---... .-»*†%@@
&†»-...... ......-»†&
@@#&%†*»-. .-»*†%@@
#%**»..... .....»**%#
&%*-...... ......-*%&
@@#&%†*»-. .-»*†%@@