###@¤$==^, ,^==$¤@###
&$=^,,,,,, ,,,,,,^=$&
###&¤$==^, ,^==$¤##
##@&¤$==^, ,^==$¤&@##
##@&¤$==^, ,^==$¤&@##
##@&¤$==^, ,,,^^^============================^^^,,, ,^==$¤&@##
##@&¤$==^, ,^= THE SPIRE ==, ,^==$¤&@##
##@&¤$==^, ==^====================================^ ,^==$¤&@##
#@@&¤$==^, ==^ ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A =^= ,^==$¤&@@#
@&$$==^,,, =^= BENEVOLENT SPIRE, TOWERING WELL ^== ,,,^==$$&@
&¤¤¤==^,,, ^== 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. =^= ,,,,,^=¤&@
&&$$==,,,, ^======================================^ ,,,,==$$&&
##@&¤$==^, =^= IIRC IT'S CURRENTLY OWNED BY ==^ ,^==$¤&@##
##@&¤$==^, ==^ SOME ENERGY DRINK BARON WHO USES =^= ,^==$¤&@##
@@&$==,,,, ==^ IT TO HOLD ALL HIS FOURTY EIGHT ^== ,,,,==$&@@
##@&¤$==^, ,^= CARS..... ^=, ,^==$¤&@##
##@&¤$==^, ,,,^^^============================^^^,,, ,^==$¤&@##
##@&¤$==^, ,^==$¤&@##
#@&¤¤$==^, ,^==$¤¤&@#
#&¤===^,,, ,,,^===¤
##@&¤$==^, ,^==$¤&@##
##@&¤$==^, ,^==$¤&@##