¨^~/=$##@# #@##$=/~^¨
¨^~/=$##@# #@##$=/~^¨
¨^~/=$#@## ##@#$=/~^¨
¨^~/=$#### ####$=/~^¨
¨^~/=$###@ @###$=/~^¨
¨¨¨¨^/$$## GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ##$$/^¨¨¨¨
¨^~/=$#### GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ####$=/~^¨
¨^~/=$#@## ##@#$=/~^¨
¨^~/$##@## BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ##@##$/~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^/$## SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ##$/^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~/=$##@# COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY #@##$=/~^¨
¨^~/=$##@# REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS #@##$=/~^¨
¨¨¨^/===## 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, ¨ ¨ ¨ #=/^^^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~=$## AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES ##$=~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^/$# AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE #$/^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~/=$##@# STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND #@##$=/~^¨
¨^~/=$###@ ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, @###$=/~^¨
¨^~/=$#### LIKE CORPSES. ####$=/~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨~/$## ##$/~¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~/=$##@# #@##$=/~^¨
¨^~/=$##@# #@##$=/~^¨
¨¨¨~///=## ##=///~¨¨¨
¨^~/====## ##====/~^¨