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