¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,== ==,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,= =,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. §==,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,==§* *§==,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,==§*@ @*§==,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,==§*@@ @@*§==,¨¨¨
¨¨,==§*@@# #@@*§==,¨¨
¨,==§*@@## ##@@*§==,¨