».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨.»:%¤
#¤%:».¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.»:%¤#
@#¤%:».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»:%¤#@
#@#¤%:».¨¨ ¨¨.»:%¤#@#
##@#¤%:».¨ ¨.»:%¤#@##
#@#¤%:».¨¨ ¨¨.»:%¤#@#