¨,=:%%%%@@ @@%%%%:=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨=:%@@ @@%:=¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=:%&@@## ##@@&%:=,¨
¨,==:%&&@@ @@&&%:==,¨
¨,=:%&@@@@ @@@@&%:=,¨
¨,=:%&@@## 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. @@&%%%:=,¨
¨,=::%%%%@ @%%%%::=,¨
¨¨¨,=:::%@ @%:::=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,:&&@@ @@&&:,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,:%%%@@ @@%%%:,¨¨¨
¨¨,=:%&&@# #@&&%:=,¨¨