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