¨¨¨¨¨,»*§§ §§*»,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,»*§§§#@# #@#§§§*»,¨
¨,»*§§§§§§ §§§§§§*»,¨
¨¨¨¨,»§§§@ @§§§»,¨¨¨¨
¨,»*§§§§§# #§§§§§*»,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,*§§# 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. #@#§§§*»,¨
¨,»*§§§@## ##@§§§*»,¨
¨¨¨,,*§§§# #§§§*,,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,,»§§# #§§»,,¨¨¨¨
¨,»*§§§#@@ @@#§§§*»,¨
¨,»*§§§### ###§§§*»,¨