##@§¤*\~.. ..~\*¤§@##
@¤¤¤\~.... ....~\¤¤¤@
##@§¤*\~.. ..~\*¤§@##
##@§¤*\~.. ..~\*¤§@##
#@@§¤*\~.. ..~\*¤§@@#
##@§¤*\~.. 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. .....~\¤@@
##@§¤*\~.. ..~\*¤§@##
##@§¤*\~.. ..~\*¤§@##
##@§¤*\~.. ..~\*¤§@##
@@@§¤*\~.. ..~\*¤§@@@
#§¤¤\..... .....\¤¤§#