.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
^......... .........^
-^........ 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. ........^-
;-^....... .......^-;
%;-^...... ......^-;%
%%;-^..... .....^-;%%
@%%;-^.... ....^-;%%@
#@%%;-^... ...^-;%%@#