@@&%=».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»=%&@@
#@@&%=».¨¨ ¨¨.»=%&@@#
##@@&%=».¨ ¨.»=%&@@##
#@@&%=».¨¨ ¨¨.»=%&@@#
@@&%=».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»=%&@@
@&%=».¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨.»=%&@@#
##@@&%=».¨ ¨.»=%&@@##
#@@&%=».¨¨ ¨¨.»=%&@@#
@@&%=».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»=%&@@
@&%=».¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.»=%&@
&%=».¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.»=%&