@@#*~.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.~*#@@
@@@#@*†~.¨ ¨.~†*@#@@@
@#***~~.¨¨ ¨¨.~~***#@
##@@@*†~.¨ ¨.~†*@@@##
#@@#@*†~.¨ ¨.~†*@#@@#
##@@#@†~.¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨~**#
@#**~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~**#@
##@#@*†~.¨ ¨.~†*@#@##
@@†.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.†@@
##@#@*†~.¨ ¨.~†*@#@##
##@#@*†~.¨ ¨.~†*@#@##