,,,,,,^%%@ @%%^,,,,,,
,,=%&@¶@## ##@¶@&%=,,
,=^%&@¶@## ##@¶@&%^=,
,,,,,^%@¶@ @¶@%^,,,,,
,,=^%&@¶@# #@¶@&%^=,,
,,,,,^&&@@ 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. #@¶@&%^=,,
,,==^%&@¶¶ ¶¶@&%^==,,
,,=^%&@¶@# #@¶@&%^=,,
,,=^%&@@@¶ ¶@@@&%^=,,
,,,,,,=%@¶ ¶@%=,,,,,,
,,,,,^^&&¶ ¶&&^^,,,,,