,,,,,.»\§¤ ¤§\».,,,,,
,,,,,,.»\§ §\».,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.»\ \».,,,,,,,
,,,,,,.»\§ §\».,,,,,,
,,,,,.»\§¤ ¤§\».,,,,,
,,,,.»\§¤§ 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. §\».,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.»\ \».,,,,,,,
,,,,,,.»\§ §\».,,,,,,
,,,,,.»\§¤ ¤§\».,,,,,
,,,,.»\§¤§ §¤§\».,,,,
,,,.»\§¤§¶ ¶§¤§\».,,,