@†=~...... ......~=†@
#@@@*†:=~. .~=:†*@@@#
@@@@*†:=~. .~=:†*@@@@
##@@*†:=~. .~=:†*@@##
##@@*†:=~. .~=:†*@@##
@†=~...... ...~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~... ......~=†@
#@@@*†:=~. .~: 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..... ~=. .~=:†*@@@#
@*†=~..... ...~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~... .....~=†*@
@†=~~..... .....~~=†@
@@@@*†:=~. .~=:†*@@@@
@*::~..... .....~::*@
@*:==~~... ...~~==:*@
@@@@*†:=~. .~=:†*@@@@