¨¨¨¨¨,:%%# #%%:,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,::%%# #%%::,¨¨¨¨
¨,,,~~:%%# #%%:~~,,,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,::%# #%::,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,~:%%%%%# #%%%%%:~,¨
¨,~:%%#@## 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. ####%%:~,¨
¨¨¨¨~~%%## ##%%~~¨¨¨¨
¨,~:%#@### ###@#%:~,¨
¨,~:%%%%#@ @#%%%%:~,¨
¨,~:%%#### ####%%:~,¨
¨,~:%%#@## ##@#%%:~,¨