¨¨¨,«;*¤@#                                          #@¤*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*¤@                                          @¤*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*¤                                          ¤*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;*                                          *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;                                          ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« ¨¨¨,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,¨¨¨ «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ¨,;            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.....             ,«¨ ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« ¨¨¨,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,¨¨¨ «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;                                          ;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«;*                                          *;«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«;*¤                                          ¤*;«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*¤@                                          @¤*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*¤@#                                          #@¤*;«,¨¨¨