@¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨ ¨@¨@@¨@¨¨@
¨@¨¨¨¨@@¨¨ @@@@¨@@@¨@
@@@¨¨¨@¨@¨ ¨¨¨¨@@¨¨@@
¨¨¨@¨¨@@@@ @¨¨¨@¨@¨@¨
¨¨¨@@¨@¨¨¨ @@¨¨@@@@@@
@¨¨@¨@@@¨¨ 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. ¨¨@@¨@@¨@¨
¨@¨¨@¨@¨@¨ ¨¨@¨@@¨@@@
@@@¨@@@@@@ ¨¨@@@¨@@¨¨
@¨¨@@¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨@¨¨@@¨@¨
@@¨@¨@¨¨¨¨ @¨@@¨@¨@@@
¨¨@@@@@¨¨¨ ¨@@¨@@@@¨¨