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