¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-» »-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-»\ \»-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-»\† †\»-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-»\†$ $†\»-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-»\†$& 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. »-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-»\ \»-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-»\† †\»-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-»\†$ $†\»-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-»\†$& &$†\»-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-»\†$&@ @&$†\»-¨¨¨