##¶&¤^/=,, ,,=/^¤&¶##
&&¤¤¤^/=,, ,,=/^¤¤¤&&
##¶&¤^/=,, ,,=/^¤&¶##
&&&¤/,,,,, ,,,,,/¤&&&
##¶&¤^/=,, ,,=/^¤&¶##
¶&&^=,,,,, 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. ,,=/^¤&¶##
##¶&¤^/=,, ,,=/^¤&¶##
##¶&¤^/=,, ,,=/^¤&¶##
##¶&¤^/=,, ,,=/^¤&¶##
#&&^^=,,,, ,,,,=^^&&#
&&&&¤^/=,, ,,=/^¤&&&&