¨¨¨¨¨,~;=% %=;~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~;=%# #%=;~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~;=%#@ @#%=;~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~;=%#@# #@#%=;~,¨¨
¨,~;=%#@## ##@#%=;~,¨
¨¨,~;=%#@# 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. =;~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~;=% %=;~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~;=%# #%=;~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~;=%#@ @#%=;~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~;=%#@# #@#%=;~,¨¨
¨,~;=%#@## ##@#%=;~,¨