...-;^#@ @##&^;-...
....-;^# ##&^;-....
.....-;^ #&^;-.....
......-;^& &^;-......
.......-;^ ^;-.......
........-; ......;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;...... ;-........
.........- ..; 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..... .-. ..........
.......... ......;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;...... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........