«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«
;«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«;
*;«.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«;*
@*;«.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.«;*@
@@*;«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«;*@@
@@@*;«.¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«;
*;«.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«;*
@*;«.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.«;*@
@@*;«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«;*@@
@@@*;«.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.«;*@@@
#@@@*;«.¨¨ ¨¨.«;*@@@#