¨-»*§%@### ###@%§*»-¨
¨¨-»*§%@## ##@%§*»-¨¨
¨¨¨-»*§%@# #@%§*»-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-»*§%@ @%§*»-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-»*§% %§*»-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-»*§ 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. ##@%§*»-¨¨
¨¨¨-»*§%@# #@%§*»-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-»*§%@ @%§*»-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-»*§% %§*»-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-»*§ §*»-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-»* *»-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨