.......«*§ §*«.......
...,,«:¤¤@ @¤¤:«,,...
...,«:¤§§@ @§§¤:«,...
.,«:*¤§@@@ @@@§¤*:«,.
.,«:*¤§@## ##@§¤*:«,.
.,«:*¤§@## 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. §¤:««««...
.,«:*¤§@## ##@§¤*:«,.
.,«:*¤§@## ##@§¤*:«,.
.,«:***§@@ @@§***:«,.
.,«:*****§ §*****:«,.
...,:::**§ §**:::,...