¨:-;*%¤##@ @##¤%*;-:¨
¨:-;*%¤### ###¤%*;-:¨
¨:-;*%¤#@@ @@#¤%*;-:¨
¨:-;*%¤#@# #@#¤%*;-:¨
¨:-;*¤#@## ##@#¤*;-:¨
¨:-;*%¤#@# 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. #%%;:¨¨¨¨¨
¨:-;*%¤#@@ @@#¤%*;-:¨
¨¨¨¨:-*%¤# #¤%*-:¨¨¨¨
¨:-;*%¤#@# #@#¤%*;-:¨
¨:-;*%¤@## ##@¤%*;-:¨
¨¨¨:--*%## ##%*--:¨¨¨