¶@%=.,,,,, ,,,,,.=%@¶
¶¶¶&@%/=., ,.=/%@&¶¶¶
¶¶@%/...,, ,,.../%@¶¶
¶@@/=.,,,, ,,,,.=/@@¶
@@¶&@%/=., ,.=/%@&¶@@
¶¶@@%===., 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. ,.==///%@&
##@&@%/=., ,.=/%@&@##
##¶&@%/=., ,.=/%@&¶##
¶@@@%=,,,, ,,,,=%@@@¶
&%/.,,,,,, ,,,,,,./%&
##@¶&%/=., ,.=/%&¶@##