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