,,,,,,.»†= =†».,,,,,,
,,,,,.»†=¤ ¤=†».,,,,,
,,,,.»†=¤# #¤=†».,,,,
,,,.»†=¤#@ @#¤=†».,,,
,,.»†=¤#@# #@#¤=†».,,
,.»†=¤#@## 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. @#¤=†».,,,
,,,,.»†=¤# #¤=†».,,,,
,,,,,.»†=¤ ¤=†».,,,,,
,,,,,,.»†= =†».,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.»† †».,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.» ».,,,,,,,,