,,=^§¤@@@# #@@@¤§^=,,
,,,=^§¤@@@ @@@¤§^=,,,
,,,,=^§¤@@ @@¤§^=,,,,
,,,,,=^§¤@ @¤§^=,,,,,
,,,,,,=^§¤ ¤§^=,,,,,,
,,,,,=^§¤@ 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. @@@¤§^=,,,
,,,,=^§¤@@ @@¤§^=,,,,
,,,,,=^§¤@ @¤§^=,,,,,
,,,,,,=^§¤ ¤§^=,,,,,,
,,,,,=^§¤@ @¤§^=,,,,,
,,,,=^§¤@@ @@¤§^=,,,,