¨¨,~^&@### ###@&^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^&@## ##@&^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^&@# #@&^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~^&@ @&^~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~^& &^~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~^ 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. ^~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~^& &^~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~^&@ @&^~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^&@# #@&^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~^&@## ##@&^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^&@### ###@&^~,¨¨