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###¨¨#¨¨¨# =»: 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 =:» #¨¨#¨¨####
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¨###¨¨¨¨¨# :=» 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. :»= ¨¨###¨¨¨##
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######¨¨¨¨ =:» 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. »:= ¨#¨###¨#¨#
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#¨###¨¨¨¨# :»= 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. :=¨ ¨######¨¨¨
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#¨#¨###¨#¨ »=: 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. »:= ###¨¨#¨###
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¨¨#¨¨###¨¨ »:= IIRC IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED BY =»: ¨¨¨###¨¨#¨
¨¨##¨#¨¨#¨ »=: SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES =:» ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨##
#¨#¨###¨## =»: IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT :=» ¨¨¨##¨###¨
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