,-~/$@#¶## ##¶#@$/~-,
,,-~/$@#¶# #¶#@$/~-,,
,,,-~/$@#¶ ¶#@$/~-,,,
,,,,-~/$@# #@$/~-,,,,
,,,,,-~/$@ @$/~-,,,,,
,,,,,,-~/$ 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. #¶#@$/~-,,
,,,-~/$@#¶ ¶#@$/~-,,,
,,,,-~/$@# #@$/~-,,,,
,,,,,-~/$@ @$/~-,,,,,
,,,,,,-~/$ $/~-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-~/ /~-,,,,,,,