#@@&$§/~,. .,~/§$&@@#
@@$$///~,. .,~///$$@@
@@$§§§/~,. .,~/§§§$@@
@@@&$§/~,. .,~/§$&@@@
@@&§§~~... ...~~§§&@@
#@@&$§/~,. GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY .,~/§$&@@#
#@@&$§/~,. GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. .,~/§$&@@#
#@@&$§/~,. .,~/§$&@@#
&$/,...... BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ......,/$&
@&§§~..... 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. .,~/§$&@@@
&§//,,,... ...,,,//§&
@$§~...... ......~§$@
@@@&$§/~,. .,~/§$&@@@
&&§~,,.... ....,,~§&&
&§~....... .......~§&