¨¨¨¨::==## ##==::¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨::*%##@ @##%*::¨¨¨
¨:=*=%##@# #@##%=*=:¨
¨:=*=%##@# #@##%=*=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨:*=## ##=*:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨=*%#@ 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. #@##%=*=:¨
¨:=*=%#### ####%=*=:¨
¨¨¨::=*%%# #%%*=::¨¨¨
¨:=*=%##@# #@##%=*=:¨
¨:=*=%##@@ @@##%=*=:¨
¨:=*=%##@# #@##%=*=:¨