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