¨^»†=%&### ###&%=†»^¨
¨^»†=%&### ###&%=†»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^†=& &=†^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»†=%&### ###&%=†»^¨
¨^»†=%&&&& &&&&%=†»^¨
¨¨¨¨»==&&# 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. ###&%=†»^¨
¨^»†=%#### ####%=†»^¨
¨^»†=%&&&# #&&&%=†»^¨
¨^»†=%&### ###&%=†»^¨
¨^»†=%&### ###&%=†»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^»=& &=»^¨¨¨¨¨¨