¨,~\====§@ @§====\~,¨
¨,~\=§#@@# #@@#§=\~,¨
¨,~\=§#@@# #@@#§=\~,¨
¨,~\=§#@@# #@@#§=\~,¨
¨¨,,,,~\=# #=\~,,,,¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~\\§# 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. @@#=~¨¨¨¨¨
¨,~\=§§§@@ @@§§§=\~,¨
¨,~\=§#@@# #@@#§=\~,¨
¨,~\=§#@@# #@@#§=\~,¨
¨¨¨¨,~=§@@ @@§=~,¨¨¨¨
¨,~\=§#@@# #@@#§=\~,¨