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