¨¨:::^%**# #**%^:::¨¨
¨¨::»%%### ###%%»::¨¨
¨::»»»%*## ##*%»»»::¨
¨¨¨¨::^%## ##%^::¨¨¨¨
¨:»^%%%*## ##*%%%^»:¨
¨:»^^%%*@@ 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. ###@#*^»:¨
¨:»^%*##@# #@##*%^»:¨
¨:»»^^^*## ##*^^^»»:¨
¨¨¨::^%### ###%^::¨¨¨
¨:»^%*#@## ##@#*%^»:¨
¨:»^^^^^%# #%^^^^^»:¨