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