@#@%\=,... ...,=\%@#@
#@#@%\=,.. ..,=\%@#@#
##@#@%\=,. .,=\%@#@##
#@#@%\=,.. ..,=\%@#@#
@#@%\=,... ...,=\%@#@
#@%\=,.... ...,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,... ....,=\%@#
@%\=,..... .,\ 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..... ,=. .,=\%@#@##
#@#@%\=,.. ...,,,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,,,... ..,=\%@#@#
@#@%\=,... ...,=\%@#@
#@%\=,.... ....,=\%@#
@%\=,..... .....,=\%@
%\=,...... ......,=\%
\=,....... .......,=\