¨¨¨.-†%$@@ @@$%†-.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.-†%$@ @$%†-.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.-†%$@@ @@$%†-.¨¨¨
¨¨.-†%$@@# #@@$%†-.¨¨
¨.-†%$@@## ##@@$%†-.¨
¨¨.-†%$@@# GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY #@@$%†-.¨¨
¨¨¨.-†%$@@ GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. @@$%†-.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.-†%$@ @$%†-.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.-†%$@@ BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, @@$%†-.¨¨¨
¨¨.-†%$@@# SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL #@@$%†-.¨¨
¨.-†%$@@## COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ##@@$%†-.¨
¨¨.-†%$@@# REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS #@@$%†-.¨¨
¨¨¨.-†%$@@ HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT @@$%†-.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.-†%$@ AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS @$%†-.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.-†%$@@ FROM BELOW. @@$%†-.¨¨¨
¨¨.-†%$@@# #@@$%†-.¨¨
¨.-†%$@@## LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN ##@@$%†-.¨
¨¨.-†%$@@# THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING #@@$%†-.¨¨
¨¨¨.-†%$@@ DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH @@$%†-.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.-†%$@ ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS @$%†-.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.-†%$@@ REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING @@$%†-.¨¨¨
¨¨.-†%$@@# BECAME A SLUDGE. #@@$%†-.¨¨
¨.-†%$@@## ##@@$%†-.¨
¨¨.-†%$@@# AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE #@@$%†-.¨¨
¨¨¨.-†%$@@ SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. @@$%†-.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.-†%$@ @$%†-.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.-†%$@@ ######################################## @@$%†-.¨¨¨
¨¨.-†%$@@# # # #@@$%†-.¨¨
¨.-†%$@@## # #@#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#@# # ##@@$%†-.¨
¨¨.-†%$@@# # @ @ # #@@$%†-.¨¨
¨¨¨.-†%$@@ @ @ @@@@%@%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%@%@@@@ @ @ @@$%†-.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.-†%$@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @$%†-.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.-†%$@@ @ @ @ THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, @ @ @ @@$%†-.¨¨¨
¨¨.-†%$@@# $ @ @ 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. @$%†-.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.-†%$@@ @@$%†-.¨¨¨
¨¨.-†%$@@# #@@$%†-.¨¨
¨.-†%$@@## ##@@$%†-.¨
¨¨.-†%$@@# #@@$%†-.¨¨
¨¨¨.-†%$@@ @@$%†-.¨¨¨