¨¨¨,,=:%%@ @%%:=,,¨¨¨
¨,=:$%@@## ##@@%$:=,¨
¨,=:$%@@## ##@@%$:=,¨
¨,=:$%@@## ##@@%$:=,¨
¨,=:$%@@## ##@@%$:=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨=$$%@ GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY @%$$=¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=:$@@### GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ###@@$:=,¨
¨,,,::$@@@ @@@$::,,,¨
¨,=:$%@@## BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ##@@%$:=,¨
¨,:$%@@### SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ###@@%$:,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,:%@ 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 ###@@%:=,¨
¨,=:$%@@## ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS ##@@%$:=,¨
¨,=:$$$$@@ REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING @@$$$$:=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨=::%@ BECAME A SLUDGE. @%::=¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=:$%@@## ##@@%$:=,¨
¨,=:$%@@## AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE ##@@%$:=,¨
¨,=:$%@@## SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. ##@@%$:=,¨
¨,=:$$%@@@ @@@%$$:=,¨
¨¨¨¨=::%@# ######################################## #@%::=¨¨¨¨
¨,=:$%@@## # # ##@@%$:=,¨
¨¨¨¨,:$%%@ # ######@#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#@###### # @%%$:,¨¨¨¨
¨,=:$%@@## # # # # ##@@%$:=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=:%@ # # #@@@$@$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$@$@@@# # # @%:=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,:%@@ @ # # # # @ @@%:,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨==$%@ @ # # THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, # # @ @%$==¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=:$%@@## % # @ PREPARED FOR LAUNCH, @ # % ##@@%$:=,¨
¨,=====$@@ $ @ @ IGNITION SEQUENCE STARTED @ @ $ @@$=====,¨
¨,=:$%@@## : @ @ HOURS AGO. ELVES IN THE @ @ : ##@@%$:=,¨
¨,=:$%@@## : $ @ PASSENGER CABIN, NOT YET @ $ : ##@@%$:=,¨
¨,=:$%@@## = : @ SEATED. BUT SOMETHING IS @ : = ##@@%$:=,¨
¨¨¨,=:$@@# = = % WRONG. THERE IS SOMETHING % = = #@@$:=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,:%%@# , , $ GREEN AROUND THEIR MOUTHS. $ , , #@%%:,¨¨¨¨
¨¨,,==:%@# , , : THE SLUDGE HAS BEEN SAMPLED, : , , #@%:==,,¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,:$@ , , = ENTERTAINED, AND THEN = , , @$:,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=:$%@@## , , , FINALLY BINGED ON. , , , ##@@%$:=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,=$@ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ @$=,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,=:$%@@## ¨ ¨ ¨ THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, ¨ ¨ ¨ ##@@%$:=,¨
¨¨¨,,=:$@@ AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES @@$:=,,¨¨¨
¨,=:$%@@## AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ##@@%$:=,¨
¨¨,,,,,:$@ STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND @$:,,,,,¨¨
¨,=:$%@@## ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ##@@%$:=,¨
¨¨,==:$%%@ LIKE CORPSES. @%%$:==,¨¨
¨,====:%@@ @@%:====,¨
¨,=:$%@@## ##@@%$:=,¨
¨,=:$%@@@@ @@@@%$:=,¨
¨,=:$%@@@# #@@@%$:=,¨
¨¨¨¨=$$@@@ @@@$$=¨¨¨¨