¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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, = - - $^=--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--=^ - - - ENTERTAINED, AND THEN - - - ^=--¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--= - - - FINALLY BINGED ON. - - - =--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-- ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ --¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- ¨ ¨ ¨ THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, ¨ ¨ ¨ -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LIKE CORPSES. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-- --¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--= =--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--=^ ^=--¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨--=^$ $^=--¨¨¨¨¨