¶%%~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~%%¶
@%%%%~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~%%%%@
##¶@%%=~-¨ ¨-~=%%@¶##
##¶@%%=~-¨ ¨-~=%%@¶##
##¶@%%=~-¨ ¨-~=%%@¶##
¶@%%%%=~-¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=%@
##¶@%%=~-¨ ¨-~=%%@¶##
¶%==-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-==%¶
@%%%~~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~~%%%@
##¶@%%=~-¨ ¨-~=%%@¶##
##¶@%%=~-¨ ¨-~=%%@¶##