###¶@%:~,¨ ¨,~:%@¶###
##¶@%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%@¶##
#¶@%:~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~:%@¶#
¶@%:~,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,~:%@¶
@%:~,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,~:%@
%:~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨,~:%@¶##
###¶@%:~,¨ ¨,~:%@¶###
##¶@%:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:%@¶##
#¶@%:~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~:%@¶#
¶@%:~,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,~:%@¶
@%:~,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,~:%@