¨-=†%$&### ###&$%†=-¨
¨-=†%$&&&# #&&&$%†=-¨
¨-=†%$&### ###&$%†=-¨
¨-=†%$&### ###&$%†=-¨
¨¨¨¨--†$&& &&$†--¨¨¨¨
¨-=†%$&### GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ###&$%†=-¨
¨-†%$&#### GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ####&$%†-¨
¨¨¨=††$$$# #$$$††=¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨=††%& 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. ###&$%†=-¨
¨-=†%$&### ###&$%†=-¨
¨¨¨¨==%$&# #&$%==¨¨¨¨
¨-=†%$&### ###&$%†=-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨=%& &%=¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨-=††%%%$& &$%%%††=-¨