¨^»^$@§### ###§@$^»^¨
¨^»^$$$@§§ §§@$$$^»^¨
¨^»^$@§### ###§@$^»^¨
¨^»^$@§#@# #@#§@$^»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^^$§ §$^^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^^^$@§@ GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY @§@$^^^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^»^$§§ GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. §§$^»^¨¨¨¨
¨^»^$@#@## ##@#@$^»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^»$§@ BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, @§$»^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»^$@@§§§ SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL §§§@@$^»^¨
¨^»^$@§#@# COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY #@#§@$^»^¨
¨^»^@§#@## 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 #@@^^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»^$@§#@# AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE #@#§@$^»^¨
¨^»^$$$$@# STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND #@$$$$^»^¨
¨^»^$@§#@@ ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, @@#§@$^»^¨
¨¨^^^$@@@# LIKE CORPSES. #@@@$^^^¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^»$$§ §$$»^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»^$@§#@# #@#§@$^»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^^$§ §$^^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»^$@§#@# #@#§@$^»^¨
¨¨¨¨^^@§§# #§§@^^¨¨¨¨