.&..&...&. ..&.&&&...
..&..&...& &...&.&&..
...&..&... &&....&&&.
....&..&.. &&&...&.&&
&....&..&. &.&&....&&
&&....&..& ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... ..&&&...&.
&&&....&.. .,^ 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..... ,=. ......&&&.
...&&&.... ...,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,... ......&.&&
&..&.&&... ........&&
&&...&&&.. ........&.
&&&..&.&&. &.........
&.&&...&&& &&........
..&&&..&.& .&&.......