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