¨¨¨¨.«=*%@                                          @%*=«.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.«=*%                                          %*=«.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.«=*                                          *=«.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«=                                          =«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«                                          «.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. ¨¨¨...============================...¨¨¨ .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨.=            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.....             .«¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨...============================...¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨