¨¨¨:/%£#@#                                          #@#£%/:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:/%£#@                                          @#£%/:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:/%£#                                          #£%/:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:/%£                                          £%/:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:/%                                          %/:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:/ 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.           #£%/:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:/%£                                          £%/:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:/% ######################################## %/:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:/ #                                      # /:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ @ # #                              # # @ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ @ # #   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.               /:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:                                          :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨