...###..## ..##.#..#.
...#..#.#. ..#.###.##
#..##.#### ..###..##.
##.#.##... #.#..#.#.#
..####.#.. ####.#####
#.#...###. ...~~~\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\~~~... ....##....
####..#..# .~\ 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..... ~=. #..##.#...
.######..# ...~~~\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\~~~... ##.#.###..
.#.....#.# #.####..#.
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