###¤*:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:*¤###
####¤*:~,¨ ¨,~:*¤####
###¤*:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:*¤###
##¤*:~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~:*¤##
#¤*:~,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,~:*¤#
¤*:~,¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~:
*:~,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~:*
¤*:~,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,~:*¤
#¤*:~,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,~:*¤#
##¤*:~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~:*¤##
###¤*:~,¨¨ ¨¨,~:*¤###