##¶¤%==~~¨ ¨~~==%¤¶##
#¶¤%==~~¨¨ ¨¨~~==%¤¶#
¶¤%==~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~==%¤¶
¤%==~~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~~==%¤
%==~~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~~==%
==~~¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨~~==%¤¶#
¶¤%==~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~==%¤¶
¤%==~~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~~==%¤
%==~~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~~==%
==~~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~~==
=~~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~~=