¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-= 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨