¨¨¨=:%&¤¤¤ ¤¤¤&%:=¨¨¨
¨-=:%&¤### ###¤&%:=-¨
¨¨¨¨¨-::%¤ ¤%::-¨¨¨¨¨
¨-=:%&¤### ###¤&%:=-¨
¨-=:%&¤### ###¤&%:=-¨
¨-=:%&¤### 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. ###¤&%:=-¨
¨-=:%%%%¤# #¤%%%%:=-¨
¨¨¨-:%%%&¤ ¤&%%%:-¨¨¨
¨-=:%&¤### ###¤&%:=-¨
¨¨¨¨-=%¤¤¤ ¤¤¤%=-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-=%&# #&%=-¨¨¨¨¨