¨:===§&@@# #@@&§===:¨
¨:=====§§@ @§§=====:¨
¨¨¨¨¨:==§@ @§==:¨¨¨¨¨
¨:====§&&@ @&&§====:¨
¨:===§&@@# #@@&§===:¨
¨:===§&@@# 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. #@@&§===:¨
¨:=====§@@ @@§=====:¨
¨:===§&@@# #@@&§===:¨
¨:===§&@@# #@@&§===:¨
¨:===§&@## ##@&§===:¨
¨¨¨====§@@ @@§====¨¨¨