¨¨¨¨¨=§&&@ @&&§=¨¨¨¨¨
¨^=;;;;;$@ @$;;;;;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@# #@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@# #@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&&@@ @@&&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$$$$@ GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY @$$$$§;=^¨
¨¨¨¨^^^;$& GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. &$;^^^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨=§§$$@ @$$§§=¨¨¨¨
¨^=;§$&&&@ BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, @&&&$§;=^¨
¨¨¨¨¨=§&&@ SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL @&&§=¨¨¨¨¨
¨^=;§$&@@# COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY #@@&$§;=^¨
¨¨¨¨¨==;§& REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS &§;==¨¨¨¨¨
¨^=;§$$$$@ HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT @$$$$§;=^¨
¨¨¨¨=§$$&@ AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS @&$$§=¨¨¨¨
¨^=;§$&@## FROM BELOW. ##@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@@ @@@&$§;=^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=;§& LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN &§;=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^=;§$&@@@ THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING @@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§§§§$@ DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH @$§§§§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@# ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS #@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@@ REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING @@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&&@@ BECAME A SLUDGE. @@&&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@# #@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@## AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE ##@&$§;=^¨
¨¨¨^=;§$@@ SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. @@$§;=^¨¨¨
¨^=;§$&@@@ @@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@# ######################################## #@@&$§;=^¨
¨¨¨^^^^=§& # # &§=^^^^¨¨¨
¨^=;§§$$&@ # #@#@@@&@&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&@&@@@#@# # @&$$§§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@# # @ @ # #@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@# @ @ @@@&§&§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§&§&@@@ @ @ #@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@# @ @ @ @ @ @ #@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@# @ @ @ THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, @ @ @ #@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@# $ @ @ PREPARED FOR LAUNCH, @ @ $ #@@&$§;=^¨
¨¨¨¨¨==§&@ § @ @ IGNITION SEQUENCE STARTED @ @ § @&§==¨¨¨¨¨
^=;§$&@@## ; & @ HOURS AGO. ELVES IN THE @ & ; ##@@&$§;=^
¨^=;§$&@@# ; § & PASSENGER CABIN, NOT YET & § ; #@@&$§;=^¨
¨¨^=;;;;$@ = ; & SEATED. BUT SOMETHING IS & ; = @$;;;;=^¨¨
¨^=;§$&@@@ = = $ WRONG. THERE IS SOMETHING $ = = @@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@@ ^ ^ § GREEN AROUND THEIR MOUTHS. § ^ ^ @@@&$§;=^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=§§& ^ ^ ; THE SLUDGE HAS BEEN SAMPLED, ; ^ ^ &§§=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^=;§$&@@# ^ ^ = ENTERTAINED, AND THEN = ^ ^ #@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;;;;;$@ ^ ^ ^ FINALLY BINGED ON. ^ ^ ^ @$;;;;;=^¨
¨^=;§$&@@# ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ #@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;§$@@## ¨ ¨ ¨ THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, ¨ ¨ ¨ ##@@$§;=^¨
¨¨¨^;§$&&& AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES &&&$§;^¨¨¨
¨^=;§$&@@@ AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE @@@&$§;=^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=§&& STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND &&§=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^=;§$&@@@ ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, @@@&$§;=^¨
¨¨¨^=;§§$@ LIKE CORPSES. @$§§;=^¨¨¨
¨^=;§$&@@@ @@@&$§;=^¨
¨¨¨^==;§&@ @&§;==^¨¨¨
¨^=;§$&@@@ @@@&$§;=^¨
¨^=;;;$$&& &&$$;;;=^¨
¨¨¨^^=§$@@ @@$§=^^¨¨¨