####$=*~-¨ ¨-~*=$####
###$=*~-¨¨ ¨¨-~*=$###
##$=*~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~*=$##
#$=*~-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-~*=$#
$=*~-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-~*=$
=*~-¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~*=
$=*~-¨¨¨¨¨ ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ¨¨¨¨¨-~*=$
#$=*~-¨¨¨¨ LIKE CORPSES. ¨¨¨¨-~*=$#
##$=*~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~*=$##
###$=*~-¨¨ ¨¨-~*=$###
####$=*~-¨ ¨-~*=$####
###$=*~-¨¨ ¨¨-~*=$###
##$=*~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~*=$##