¨^«;^%¤@## ##@¤%^;«^¨
¨¨^«;^%¤@# #@¤%^;«^¨¨
¨¨¨^«;^%¤@ @¤%^;«^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^«;^%¤ ¤%^;«^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^«;^% %^;«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^«;^ 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. ^;«^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^«;^% %^;«^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^«;^%¤ ¤%^;«^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^«;^%¤@ @¤%^;«^¨¨¨
¨¨^«;^%¤@# #@¤%^;«^¨¨
¨^«;^%¤@## ##@¤%^;«^¨