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