¨¨¨¨,=;%%& &%%;=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=;%% %%;=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,=;% %;=,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=;%% %%;=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=;%%& &%%;=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=;%%&# 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. #&%%;=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=;%%& &%%;=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=;%% %%;=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,=;% %;=,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=;%% %%;=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=;%%& &%%;=,¨¨¨¨