#@##$*†~., ,.~†*$##@#
##***~~~., ,.~~~***##
#@##$*†~., ,.~†*$##@#
####$*†~., ,.~†*$####
@@##$*†~., ,.~†*$##@@
#@##$*†~., GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,.~†*$##@#
##*††.,,,, 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 ,.~†***###
##@#$*†~., AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ,.~†*$#@##
@##$$*†~., STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ,.~†*$$##@
#@##$*†~., ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ,.~†*$##@#
#@##$*†~., LIKE CORPSES. ,.~†*$##@#
#@##$*†~., ,.~†*$##@#
#@##$*†~., ,.~†*$##@#
####$*†~., ,.~†*$####
#$†.,,,,,, ,,,,,,.†$#
##@#$*†~., ,.~†*$#@##