¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨# ##¨###¨¨¨#
¨¨¨¨¨#¨##¨ ¨##¨¨#¨¨##
¨¨¨¨###¨## #¨#¨##¨#¨#
¨¨¨#¨¨##¨# ####¨#####
¨¨##¨#¨### ¨¨¨##¨¨¨¨#
¨#¨####¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,¨¨¨ ¨¨#¨#¨¨¨##
###¨¨¨#¨¨# ¨,^ 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..... ,~¨ ¨#¨¨##¨#¨#
¨##¨####¨# ¨¨¨,,,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^,,,¨¨¨ ##¨#¨#####
#¨##¨¨¨### ¨####¨¨¨¨#
##¨#¨¨#¨¨# #¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨
¨###¨##¨#¨ #¨¨##¨¨###
#¨¨##¨#### #¨#¨#¨#¨¨#
#¨#¨##¨¨¨¨ #######¨#¨