»-........ ........-»
/»-....... .......-»/
=/»-...... ......-»/=
*=/»-..... .....-»/=*
&*=/»-.... ....-»/=*&
#&*=/»-... 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. ..........
.......... ..........
-......... .........-
»-........ ........-»
/»-....... .......-»/
=/»-...... ......-»/=