¤%-,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,-%¤
¶§%//-,,,, ,,,,-//%§¶
#@¶¤§%/--, ,--/%§¤¶@#
¶¤¤¤§%/--, ,--/%§¤¤¤¶
#@¶¤§%/--, ,--/%§¤¶@#
#@¶¤§%/--, 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. ,--/%§¤¶@#
##@¶¤%/--, ,--/%¤¶@##
##¶¤§%/--, ,--/%§¤¶##
¤§/--,,,,, ,,,,,--/§¤
##@¶¤§/--, ,--/§¤¶@##
¶¤§%%--,,, ,,,--%%§¤¶