/~~....... .......~~/
~~........ ........~~
/~~....... .......~~/
*/~~...... ......~~/*
§*/~~..... .....~~/*§
&§*/~~.... 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. ..~~/*§&@@
#@@&§*/~~. .~~/*§&@@#
@@&§*/~~.. ..~~/*§&@@
@&§*/~~... ...~~/*§&@
&§*/~~.... ....~~/*§&
§*/~~..... .....~~/*§