#@#@§%;«~, ,~«;%§@#@#
@§%%;«««~, ,~«««;%%§@
##@@§%;«~, ,~«;%§@@##
##@#@%;«~, ,~«;%@#@##
#§§;;;;«~, ,~«;;;;§§#
#@#@§%;«~, 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. ,~«;%§@#@#
#@#@§%;«~, ,~«;%§@#@#
@#@§;««~~, ,~~««;§@#@
#@§%«,,,,, ,,,,,«%§@#
#@%;«~,,,, ,,,,~«;%@#
#@#@§%;«~, ,~«;%§@#@#