¨¨¨¨~»\%@# #@%\»~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~»\%@#¶ ¶#@%\»~¨¨¨
¨¨~»\%@#¶# #¶#@%\»~¨¨
¨~»\%@#¶## ##¶#@%\»~¨
¨¨~»\%@#¶# #¶#@%\»~¨¨
¨¨¨~»\%@#¶ 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. ¶#@%\»~¨¨¨
¨¨~»\%@#¶# #¶#@%\»~¨¨
¨~»\%@#¶## ##¶#@%\»~¨
¨¨~»\%@#¶# #¶#@%\»~¨¨
¨¨¨~»\%@#¶ ¶#@%\»~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~»\%@# #@%\»~¨¨¨¨