.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»
/».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»/
*/».¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.»/*
§*/».¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.»/*§
¤§*/».¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨.»/*§¤
@¤§*/».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»/*§¤@
#@¤§*/».¨¨ ¨¨.»/*§¤@#
##@¤§*/».¨ ¨.»/*§¤@##
#@¤§*/».¨¨ ¨¨.»/*§¤@#
@¤§*/».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»/*§¤@