##¶#$$*--¨ ¨--*$$#¶##
##¶#$$*--¨ ¨--*$$#¶##
##¶#$$*--¨ ¨--*$$#¶##
#¶$*--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--*$¶#
¶¶¶#$$*--¨ ¨--*$$#¶¶¶
¶¶##$$*--¨ GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ¨--*$$##¶¶
###¶$$*--¨ GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ¨--*$$¶###
####$$*--¨ ¨--*$$####
####$$*--¨ BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ¨--*$$####
####$$*--¨ SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ¨--*$$####
##¶#$$*--¨ COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ¨--*$$#¶##
¶¶¶#$$*--¨ REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ¨--*$$#¶¶¶
###$**-¨¨¨ HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT ¨¨¨-**$###
¶¶##$$*--¨ AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS ¨--*$$##¶¶
###¶#$$*-¨ FROM BELOW. ¨-*$$#¶###
##¶#$$*--¨ ¨--*$$#¶##
###¶$$*--¨ LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN ¨--*$$¶###
¶$$$*--¨¨¨ THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING ¨¨¨--*$$$¶
#$*-¨¨¨¨¨¨ DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH ¨¨¨¨¨¨-*$#
##¶#$$*--¨ ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS ¨--*$$#¶##
##¶#$$*--¨ REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING ¨--*$$#¶##
##¶#$$*--¨ BECAME A SLUDGE. ¨--*$$#¶##
##¶#$$*--¨ ¨--*$$#¶##
#$$$--¨¨¨¨ AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE ¨¨¨¨--$$$#
##¶#$$*--¨ SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. ¨--*$$#¶##
##¶#$$*--¨ ¨--*$$#¶##
¶¶¶#$$*--¨ ######################################## ¨--*$$#¶¶¶
####$$*--¨ # # ¨--*$$####
#$$$$**--¨ # #################################### # ¨--**$$$$#
¶¶#$*--¨¨¨ # # # # ¨¨¨--*$#¶¶
¶$$$$-¨¨¨¨ # # #¶¶#$#$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$#$#¶¶# # # ¨¨¨¨-$$$$¶
##¶#$$*--¨ ¶ # # # # ¶ ¨--*$$#¶##
##¶#$$*--¨ ¶ # # 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. ¨--*$$####
##¶#$$*--¨ ¨--*$$#¶##
#¶##$$*--¨ ¨--*$$##¶#
##¶#$$*--¨ ¨--*$$#¶##
###¶#$$*-- --*$$#¶###
##¶#$$*--¨ ¨--*$$#¶##