¤¤¤===-... ...-===¤¤¤
##@¤$==-:. .:-==$¤@##
@¤==-..... .....-==¤@
##@¤$==-:. .:-==$¤@##
###@¤$==-: :-==$¤@###
¤¤$==-.... ...:::============================:::... ....-==$¤¤
@$$==--:.. .:= the spire -=. ..:--==$$@
¤$$==:::.. -=:----------------------------------=-: ..:::==$$¤
@@@¤$==-:. =-: once upon a time, there was a =:- .:-==$¤@@@
###@¤$=-:. =:- benevolent spire, towering well :=- .:-=$¤@###
##@¤$==-:. :=- above our tallest trees. it was :-= .:-==$¤@##
##@¤$==-:. :-= clad in white scales, and shaped -:= .:-==$¤@##
##@¤$==-:. -:= liked a mushroom. -=: .:-==$¤@##
@¤$$===-:. -=: we loved it dearly. =-: .:-===$$¤@
##@¤$==-:. =-:----------------------------------=:- .:-==$¤@##
##@¤$==-:. =:- it predated us by many years, :=- .:-==$¤@##
¤¤¤$$==-:. :=- and we did not know its original :-= .:-==$$¤¤¤
##@¤$==-:. :-= builders. they had used its -:= .:-==$¤@##
##@¤$==-:. -:= hollow body for many strange -=: .:-==$¤@##
##@¤$==-:. -=: purposes - a womblike place of =-: .:-==$¤@##
¤=-....... =-: 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 :-= ......-=¤@
###¤$==-:. :=- few times, and stop going. -:= .:-==$¤###
@@$=-:.... :-=-----------------------------------=: ....:-=$@@
@@@¤$==-:. -:= iirc it's currently owned by =-: .:-==$¤@@@
@@@¤$==-:. -=: some energy drink baron who uses =:- .:-==$¤@@@
##@¤$==-:. =-: it to hold all his fourty eight :=- .:-==$¤@##
##@¤$==-:. .:- cars..... :-. .:-==$¤@##
@$=:...... ...:::============================:::... ......:=$@
¤==--:.... ....:--==¤
@$=:...... ......:=$@
¤¤¤¤$==-:. .:-==$¤¤¤¤
¤=-::..... .....::-=¤
##@¤$==-:. .:-==$¤@##