@¨¨@¨@¨@@¨ @¨¨¨¨@@¨¨¨
¨@¨¨¨¨¨@@@ ¨@¨¨¨@@@¨¨
¨¨@¨¨¨¨@¨@ ¨¨@¨¨@¨@@¨
¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨@ ¨¨¨@¨¨¨@@@
@¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨@ ¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨@
@@¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨
¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨
¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨
¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨ @¨¨¨¨@¨@@¨
¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨ ¨@¨¨¨¨¨@@@
@¨¨¨¨@¨@@¨ ¨¨@¨¨¨¨@¨@