###@§%==~.                                          .~==%§@###
@%======~.                                          .~======%@
#@%==~....                                          ....~==%@#
###@§%==~.                                          .~==%§@###
###@§%==~.                                          .~==%§@###
####@§==~. ...~~~============================~~~... .~==§@####
####§%==~. .~=            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.....            ~=. ...~=%§@@#
@@§=~..... ...~~~============================~~~... .....~=§@@
###@§%==~.                                          .~==%§@###
###@§%==~.                                          .~==%§@###
####@§==~.                                          .~==§@####
#§§§===~..                                          ..~===§§§#
###@§%==~.                                          .~==%§@###