##&§†~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~†§&##
#&§†~-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-~†§&#
&§†~-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-~†§&
§†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†§
†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†
~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~
†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†
§†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†§
&§†~-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-~†§&