¨:»†=@#¶## ##¶#@=†»:¨
¨¨:»†=@#¶# #¶#@=†»:¨¨
¨¨¨:»†=@#¶ ¶#@=†»:¨¨¨
¨¨:»†=@#¶# #¶#@=†»:¨¨
¨:»†=@#¶## ##¶#@=†»:¨
¨¨:»†=@#¶# 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. #¶#@=†»:¨¨
¨¨¨:»†=@#¶ ¶#@=†»:¨¨¨
¨¨:»†=@#¶# #¶#@=†»:¨¨
¨:»†=@#¶## ##¶#@=†»:¨
¨¨:»†=@#¶# #¶#@=†»:¨¨
¨¨¨:»†=@#¶ ¶#@=†»:¨¨¨