¨^~***§@## ##@§***~^¨
¨^~***§### ###§***~^¨
¨¨¨^~****@ @****~^¨¨¨
¨^~***§@## ##@§***~^¨
¨^~***§@## ##@§***~^¨
¨¨¨¨~****§ 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. ###@§**~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^**§ §**^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~*§# #§*~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^^^**§# #§**^^^¨¨¨
¨^~***§@## ##@§***~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^***@ @***^¨¨¨¨¨