¨.-;%$## ###&$%;-.¨
¨¨.-;%$# ##&$%;-.¨¨
¨¨¨.-;%$ #&$%;-.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.-;%$& &$%;-.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.-;%$ #&$%;-.¨¨¨
¨¨.-;%$# 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. ##&$%;-.¨¨
¨¨¨.-;%$ #&$%;-.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.-;%$& &$%;-.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.-;%$ #&$%;-.¨¨¨
¨¨.-;%$# ##&$%;-.¨¨
¨.-;%$## ###&$%;-.¨