¨¨^==::¤@@ @@¤::==^¨¨
¨^=:^¤§@@@ @@@§¤^:=^¨
¨^=:^¤§@@@ @@@§¤^:=^¨
¨^=:^¤§@@# #@@§¤^:=^¨
¨^=:^¤@@## ##@@¤^:=^¨
¨^^==^^^§@ 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. §§^==^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^:¤¤§§ §§¤¤:^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^:¤@@ @@¤:^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^=:^¤§@@@ @@@§¤^:=^¨
¨¨¨¨^::^¤§ §¤^::^¨¨¨¨
¨^=:^¤§@## ##@§¤^:=^¨