¨~=^§$@### ###@$§^=~¨
¨~=^§$@### ###@$§^=~¨
¨¨¨=^^^$@@ @@$^^^=¨¨¨
¨~=^§§$@@# #@@$§§^=~¨
¨¨¨¨~===§@ @§===~¨¨¨¨
¨~~==§§§@@ 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 ###@$§^=~¨
¨¨¨¨~^§$$@ ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, @$$§^~¨¨¨¨
¨~=^§$@### LIKE CORPSES. ###@$§^=~¨
¨¨¨=^^§§@# #@§§^^=¨¨¨
¨~=^§$@### ###@$§^=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨==§$# #$§==¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~==§@ @§==~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=^$@ @$^=¨¨¨¨¨¨