,-:*$£¶### ###¶£$*:-,
,,-:*$£¶## ##¶£$*:-,,
,,,-:*$£¶# #¶£$*:-,,,
,,,,-:*$£¶ ¶£$*:-,,,,
,,,,,-:*$£ £$*:-,,,,,
,,,,,,-:*$ 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. ##¶£$*:-,,
,,,-:*$£¶# #¶£$*:-,,,
,,,,-:*$£¶ ¶£$*:-,,,,
,,,,,-:*$£ £$*:-,,,,,
,,,,,,-:*$ $*:-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-:* *:-,,,,,,,