».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨