,^~=^¤&¶## ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶## ##¶&¤^=~^,
,,,,,,~=¤¶ ¶¤=~,,,,,,
,,,,^^==¤¶ ¶¤==^^,,,,
,,,,~^^^&& &&^^^~,,,,
,^~=^¤&¶## GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ##¶&¤^=~^,
,,,^^~=¤&# GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. #&¤=~^^,,,
,^~=^¤&&&¶ ¶&&&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤¤¤&¶ BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ¶&¤¤¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶## SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶## COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&&¶# REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS #¶&&¤^=~^,
,^~~==¤&&# HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT #&&¤==~~^,
,^~=^¤&¶## AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶¶¶ FROM BELOW. ¶¶¶&¤^=~^,
,,,^^=¤¤&¶ ¶&¤¤=^^,,,
,^~=^¤&¶## LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶## THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING ##¶&¤^=~^,
,,,,,~~^¤¶ DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH ¶¤^~~,,,,,
,^~=^¤&¶¶¶ ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS ¶¶¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^^^¤¶¶ REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING ¶¶¤^^^=~^,
,,,,,^=¤¤¶ BECAME A SLUDGE. ¶¤¤=^,,,,,
,^~=^¤&¶## ##¶&¤^=~^,
,,,,,~^&¶# AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE #¶&^~,,,,,
,^~=^¤&¶## SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. ##¶&¤^=~^,
,,,,~==¤&& &&¤==~,,,,
,^~=^¤&¶## ######################################## ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&&&& # # &&&&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶## # ######&#&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&#&###### # ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~====^^& # # # # &^^====~^,
,,,~~^¤¤&& # # #¶¶&^&^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^&^&¶¶# # # &&¤¤^~~,,,
,,,^~~~^&& ¶ # # # # ¶ &&^~~~^,,,
,,,,~~==¤¶ ¶ # # THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, # # ¶ ¶¤==~~,,,,
,^~=^¤&¶## ¤ # ¶ PREPARED FOR LAUNCH, ¶ # ¤ ##¶&¤^=~^,
,,,^^~^¤¶¶ ^ ¶ ¶ IGNITION SEQUENCE STARTED ¶ ¶ ^ ¶¶¤^~^^,,,
,^~=^¤&¶## = & ¶ HOURS AGO. ELVES IN THE ¶ & = ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶## = ^ & PASSENGER CABIN, NOT YET & ^ = ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶## ~ = & SEATED. BUT SOMETHING IS & = ~ ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶## ~ ~ ¤ WRONG. THERE IS SOMETHING ¤ ~ ~ ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶## ^ ^ ^ GREEN AROUND THEIR MOUTHS. ^ ^ ^ ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶## ^ ^ = THE SLUDGE HAS BEEN SAMPLED, = ^ ^ ##¶&¤^=~^,
,,,,^~^¤¶¶ ^ ^ ~ ENTERTAINED, AND THEN ~ ^ ^ ¶¶¤^~^,,,,
,,,,~~=^&& ^ ^ ^ FINALLY BINGED ON. ^ ^ ^ &&^=~~,,,,
,,,^^~^^¤& , , , , , , &¤^^~^^,,,
,^~=^¤&¶## , , , THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, , , , ##¶&¤^=~^,
^~=^¤&¶### AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES ###¶&¤^=~^
,^~=^¤&¶## AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^^^&&¶ STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ¶&&^^^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶¶¶ ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ¶¶¶&¤^=~^,
,,,,,,^=^& LIKE CORPSES. &^=^,,,,,,
,^~=^¤&### ###&¤^=~^,
,,,,,~=¤¤¶ ¶¤¤=~,,,,,
,^~=^^¤&&¶ ¶&&¤^^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶## ##¶&¤^=~^,
,^~=^¤&¶¶# #¶¶&¤^=~^,