¨~~=^§#@## ##@#§^=~~¨
¨¨~~=^§#@# #@#§^=~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~=^§#@ @#§^=~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=^§# #§^=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~=^§ §^=~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~~=^ ¨¨¨~~~============================~~~¨¨¨ ^=~~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~~= ¨~= 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..... ~~¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~~============================~~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~~ ~~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~~= =~~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~~=^ ^=~~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~=^§ §^=~~¨¨¨¨¨