¨.~*^@&### ###&@^*~.¨
¨.~*^@&#@# #@#&@^*~.¨
¨.~*^@&#@@ @@#&@^*~.¨
¨.~*@&#@## ##@#&@*~.¨
¨.~*^@&#@# #@#&@^*~.¨
¨.~*^@&### 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. ###&@^*~.¨
¨.~*^@&#@@ @@#&@^*~.¨
¨.~*^@#@## ##@#@^*~.¨
¨.~**^@@## ##@@^**~.¨
¨.~*^^^@@# #@@^^^*~.¨
¨.~*^@&@## ##@&@^*~.¨