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