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