¨:«:†%&@## ##@&%†:«:¨
¨¨:«:†%&@# #@&%†:«:¨¨
¨¨¨:«:†%&@ @&%†:«:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:«:†%& &%†:«:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨:«:†%&@ @&%†:«:¨¨¨
¨¨:«:†%&@# 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. #@&%†:«:¨¨
¨¨¨:«:†%&@ @&%†:«:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:«:†%& &%†:«:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨:«:†%&@ @&%†:«:¨¨¨
¨¨:«:†%&@# #@&%†:«:¨¨
¨:«:†%&@## ##@&%†:«:¨