,^»\%¤§¶## ##¶§¤%\»^,
,^»\%¤§¶## ##¶§¤%\»^,
,^»\%¤§§§# #§§§¤%\»^,
,,^»»\¤§§# #§§¤\»»^,,
,,^^\\%§¶¶ ¶¶§%\\^^,,
,^»\%¤§¶## 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. ##¶§¤%\»^,
,,,,,,»%§§ §§%»,,,,,,
,^\%¤§¶### ###¶§¤%\^,
,^^»»\¤§§§ §§§¤\»»^^,
,,,,,»%%%§ §%%%»,,,,,
,,,^\\\¤§¶ ¶§¤\\\^,,,