¨¨--=§§&@# #@&§§=--¨¨
¨--=§§&@## ##@&§§=--¨
¨¨--=§§&@# #@&§§=--¨¨
¨¨¨--=§§&@ @&§§=--¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--=§§& &§§=--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--=§§&@ 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. ##@&§§=--¨
¨¨--=§§&@# #@&§§=--¨¨
¨¨¨--=§§&@ @&§§=--¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--=§§& &§§=--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--=§§&@ @&§§=--¨¨¨
¨¨--=§§&@# #@&§§=--¨¨