¤¤¤==¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨==¤¤¤
###¤%=*=.¨ ¨.=*=%¤###
###¤%=*=.¨ ¨.=*=%¤###
###¤%=*=.¨ ¨.=*=%¤###
####¤%=*=¨ ¨=*=%¤####
¤%*=¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨.=*=%¤###
###¤%=*=.¨ ¨.=*=%¤###
¤%%**=¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨=**%%¤
###¤%=*=.¨ ¨.=*=%¤###
###¤%=*=.¨ ¨.=*=%¤###
#¤¤¤%=*=.¨ ¨.=*=%¤¤¤#