,,,~;*%£#@ @#£%*;~,,,
,,,,~;*%£# #£%*;~,,,,
,,,,,~;*%£ £%*;~,,,,,
,,,,,,~;*% %*;~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~;* *;~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~; 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. ;~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~;* *;~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~;*% %*;~,,,,,,
,,,,,~;*%£ £%*;~,,,,,
,,,,~;*%£# #£%*;~,,,,
,,,~;*%£#@ @#£%*;~,,,