¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~* *~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~ ~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~* *~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:~** **~:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:~**$ $**~:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:~**$& 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. ##&$**~:¨¨
¨:~**$&### ###&$**~:¨
¨¨:~**$&## ##&$**~:¨¨
¨¨¨:~**$&# #&$**~:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:~**$& &$**~:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:~**$ $**~:¨¨¨¨¨