,,,,,~-/$$ $$/-~,,,,,
,,,,,,~-/$ $/-~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~-/ /-~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~- -~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~- GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY -~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~-/ GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. /-~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~-/$ $/-~,,,,,,
,,,,,~-/$$ BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, $$/-~,,,,,
,,,,~-/$$@ SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL @$$/-~,,,,
,,,~-/$$@¶ COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ¶@$$/-~,,,
,,~-/$$@¶# REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS #¶@$$/-~,,
,~-/$$@¶## HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT ##¶@$$/-~,
,,~-/$$@¶# AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS #¶@$$/-~,,
,,,~-/$$@¶ FROM BELOW. ¶@$$/-~,,,
,,,,~-/$$@ @$$/-~,,,,
,,,,,~-/$$ LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN $$/-~,,,,,
,,,,,,~-/$ 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. $/-~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~-/ /-~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~- -~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~- -~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~-/ /-~,,,,,,,