¨~«;%$@@@# #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# FROM BELOW. #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ BECAME A SLUDGE. @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# ######################################## #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ # # @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# # #@#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#@# # #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ # @ @ # @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# @ @ @@@@%@%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%@%@@@@ @ @ #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# @ @ @ THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, @ @ @ #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ $ @ @ 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. @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# #@@@$%;«~¨
¨¨~«;%$@@@ @@@$%;«~¨¨
¨~«;%$@@@# #@@@$%;«~¨