....:-;^¤& &¤^;-:....
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.....:-;^¤ ¤^;-:.....
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...:-;^¤ ...:::;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;:::... #&¤^;-:...
..:-;^¤# .:; 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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