§**;;~^^.. ..^^~;;**§
##@§%*;~^. .^~;*%§@##
#§%*~~.... ....~~*%§#
##@§%*;~^. .^~;*%§@##
#§%%;~^... ...^~;%%§#
##@§%*;~^. 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. .^~;*%§§§#
§*;^...... ......^;*§
§%%;~^.... ....^~;%%§
@§%;;^.... ....^;;%§@
@§%%;^^^.. ..^^^;%%§@
###@§%*;~. .~;*%§@###