,¤,,,,,¤¤, ,¤¤,,,,¤,,
,,¤,,,,¤¤¤ ,¤¤¤,,,,¤,
,,,¤,,,¤,¤ ,¤,¤¤,,,,¤
¤,,,¤,,,,¤ ,,,¤¤¤,,,,
,¤,,,¤,,,¤ ,,,¤,¤¤,,,
,,¤,,,¤,,, 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. ,,,¤¤¤,,,,
,,¤,,,,¤,, ,,,¤,¤¤,,,
,,,¤,,,,¤, ¤,,,,¤¤¤,,
,,,,¤,,,,¤ ,¤,,,¤,¤¤,
,,,,,¤,,,, ,,¤,,,,¤¤¤
¤,,,,,¤,,, ,,,¤,,,¤,¤