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