###@%%:=-¨ ¨-=:%%@###
##@%%:=-¨¨ ¨¨-=:%%@##
#@%%:=-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-=:%%@#
@%%:=-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-=:%%@
%%:=-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-=:%%
%:=-¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=
:=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=: