¨¨¨:~:*%@@ @@%*:~:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:~:*%@ @%*:~:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:~:*% %*:~:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:~:* *:~:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~: :~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~ ¨¨¨::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::¨¨¨ ~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨: ¨:: 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..... :~¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨