,-==†¤@###                                          ###@¤†==-,
,-==†¤@###                                          ###@¤†==-,
,-==†@####                                          ####@†==-,
,,,--===†@                                          @†===--,,,
,-==†¤@###                                          ###@¤†==-,
,-==†¤@### ,,,---============================---,,, ###@¤†==-,
,-==†¤@### ,-=            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.....            -=, ###@¤†==-,
,-==†¤@### ,,,---============================---,,, ###@¤†==-,
,,,,,,=†¤#                                          #¤†=,,,,,,
,-==†¤@###                                          ###@¤†==-,
,,,,-=†¤@@                                          @@¤†=-,,,,
,-=====¤@#                                          #@¤=====-,
,-==†@####                                          ####@†==-,