,,»^%%#¶@# #@¶#%%^»,,
,,,,^%%%¶¶ ¶¶%%%^,,,,
,,»^%%%##¶ ¶##%%%^»,,
,,,»»%%%#¶ ¶#%%%»»,,,
,,»^%%#@## ##@#%%^»,,
,,»^%%#¶@# 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. @@¶#%%^»,,
,,»^%%#¶@# #@¶#%%^»,,
,,»^%%#@## ##@#%%^»,,
,,,,,,,^%# #%^,,,,,,,
,,,,^^%%## ##%%^^,,,,
,,»^%%#¶@@ @@¶#%%^»,,