.,«***#@@#                                          #@@#***«,.
...,«««**@                                          @**«««,...
.....««**#                                          #**««.....
...,«***#@                                          @#***«,...
.,«***#@##                                          ##@#***«,.
,«***#@### ...,,,****************************,,,... ###@#***«,
.,«***##@@ .,*            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.....            ,«. ##@#***«,.
......,«*# ...,,,****************************,,,... #*«,......
.,«***#@##                                          ##@#***«,.
.,«****#@@                                          @@#****«,.
.,«**#@###                                          ###@#**«,.
...««***##                                          ##***««...
....,****@                                          @****,....