,,,,@@,@@, @@,@,,@,@,
,,,,@,@@,@ @,@@@,@@@@
@,,,@@@,@@ @@@,,@@,,,
@@,,@,,@@, @,,@,@,@,,
@,@,@@,@,@ ,@,@@@@@@,
@@@@@,@@@@ ,,,:::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:::,,, ,@@@,,,,,@
,,,,,@@,,, ,:; 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..... :~, ,,@,,,@@,@
@@,,@,,@@@ ,,,:::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:::,,, @,@@,,@,@@
,,@,@@,@,, ,@@,@,@@@,
,,@@@,@@@, ,@,@@@@,,@
@,@,,@@,,@ ,@@@,,,@,@
,@@@,@,@,@ @@,,@,,@@@
@@,,@@@@@@ @,@,@@,@,,