¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,= ¨¨¨,,,============================,,,¨¨¨ =,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,== ¨,= 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..... ,=¨ ==,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,==% ¨¨¨,,,============================,,,¨¨¨ %==,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,==%% %%==,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,==%%@ @%%==,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,==%%@¶ ¶@%%==,¨¨¨
¨¨,==%%@¶# #¶@%%==,¨¨
¨,==%%@¶## ##¶@%%==,¨