###@$%=«.,                                          ,.«=%$@###
@@$$===«.,                                          ,.«===$$@@
#$%=«,,,,,                                          ,,,,,«=%$#
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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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##@$==.,,,                                          ,,,.==$@##
#$=«,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,«=$#