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