#¶%%*=¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨=*%%¶#
##¶¤%**=:¨ ¨:=**%¤¶##
#¶¤¤%**=:¨ ¨:=**%¤¤¶#
##¶¤%**=:¨ ¨:=**%¤¶##
##¶¤%**=:¨ ¨:=**%¤¶##
##¶¤%**=:¨ 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. ¨:=**%¤¶##
##¶¤%**=:¨ ¨:=**%¤¶##
###¤%**=:¨ ¨:=**%¤###
#¤%*=¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨=*%¤#
¤**=¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨=**¤
¤%%%*=:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:=*%%%¤