¨,~:*$$&@# #@&$$*:~,¨
¨,~:*$&@## ##@&$*:~,¨
¨,~:$&@### ###@&$:~,¨
¨,~:*$&@## ##@&$*:~,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,::*& &*::,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,:*$$$& GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY &$$$*:,¨¨¨
¨¨¨,,:*$@# GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. #@$*:,,¨¨¨
¨,~:*$&@## ##@&$*:~,¨
¨,~:*$&@@@ BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, @@@&$*:~,¨
¨,~:*$&@## SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ##@&$*:~,¨
¨,~:*$&### COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ###&$*:~,¨
¨¨,,~**&&& 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 @$$***:~,¨
¨,~:*$&@## ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ##@&$*:~,¨
¨,~:*$&@## LIKE CORPSES. ##@&$*:~,¨
¨,~:*$&@## ##@&$*:~,¨
¨,~:*$&@## ##@&$*:~,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~~*& &*~~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,~:*$&@## ##@&$*:~,¨
¨,~:*$&### ###&$*:~,¨