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