¨:~^§§%%££                                          ££%%§§^~:¨
¨:~^§%&£££                                          £££&%§^~:¨
¨¨¨¨¨~§%£@                                          @£%§~¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~^§%&£@@                                          @@£&%§^~:¨
¨¨¨¨:^^§&@                                          @&§^^:¨¨¨¨
¨:~^§%%&&£ 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.               &&&%^:¨¨¨¨
¨:~^§%&£@#                                          #@£&%§^~:¨
¨:~^§%&£@#                                          #@£&%§^~:¨
¨:~^§%&£@#                                          #@£&%§^~:¨
¨:~^§%&£@#                                          #@£&%§^~:¨
¨:~^§§%%%&                                          &%%%§§^~:¨