¨~-^***$@# #@$***^-~¨
¨~-^*$§@## ##@§$*^-~¨
¨~-^*§@### ###@§*^-~¨
¨¨¨~~^^*§§ §§*^^~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-^^$@ @$^^-¨¨¨¨¨
¨~-^*$@### GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ###@$*^-~¨
¨~-^*§@### 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. ~ ~ ~ §§*^~~¨¨¨¨
¨~-^*$§@## ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ##@§$*^-~¨
¨~-^*$§@## ¨ ¨ ¨ THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, ¨ ¨ ¨ ##@§$*^-~¨
¨~-^*$$$§# AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES #§$$$*^-~¨
¨~-^*$§@@# AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE #@@§$*^-~¨
¨~-^****$§ STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND §$****^-~¨
¨~-^*$§@## ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ##@§$*^-~¨
¨~-^*$$§§# LIKE CORPSES. #§§$$*^-~¨
¨¨~~^**$$@ @$$**^~~¨¨
¨~-^*$§@## ##@§$*^-~¨
¨~-^*$§### ###§$*^-~¨
¨~-^^^*$§§ §§$*^^^-~¨
¨~-^*$§@## ##@§$*^-~¨