,,:=^†$§##                                          ##§$†^=:,,
,,,:=^†$§#                                          #§$†^=:,,,
,,,,:=^†$§                                          §$†^=:,,,,
,,,,,:=^†$                                          $†^=:,,,,,
,,,,:=^†$§                                          §$†^=:,,,,
,,,:=^†$§# ,,,:::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:::,,, #§$†^=:,,,
,,:=^†$§## ,:^            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.....             :=, ##§$†^=:,,
,:=^†$§### ,,,:::^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:::,,, ###§$†^=:,
,,:=^†$§##                                          ##§$†^=:,,
,,,:=^†$§#                                          #§$†^=:,,,
,,,,:=^†$§                                          §$†^=:,,,,
,,,,,:=^†$                                          $†^=:,,,,,
,,,,:=^†$§                                          §$†^=:,,,,