¨^«\*@#@## ##@#@*\«^¨
¨¨^«\*@#@# #@#@*\«^¨¨
¨¨¨^«\*@#@ @#@*\«^¨¨¨
¨¨^«\*@#@# #@#@*\«^¨¨
¨^«\*@#@## ##@#@*\«^¨
¨¨^«\*@#@# 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. #@#@*\«^¨¨
¨¨¨^«\*@#@ @#@*\«^¨¨¨
¨¨^«\*@#@# #@#@*\«^¨¨
¨^«\*@#@## ##@#@*\«^¨
¨¨^«\*@#@# #@#@*\«^¨¨
¨¨¨^«\*@#@ @#@*\«^¨¨¨