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