#@#&*;«.,, ,,.«;*&#@#
@#&*;«.,,, ,,,.«;*&#@
#&*;«.,,,, ,,,,.«;*&#
&*;«.,,,,, ,,,,,.«;*&
*;«.,,,,,, ,,,,,,.«;*
;«.,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,.«;
*;«.,,,,,, ,,,,,,.«;*
&*;«.,,,,, ,,,,,.«;*&
#&*;«.,,,, ,,,,.«;*&#
@#&*;«.,,, ,,,.«;*&#@
#@#&*;«.,, ,,.«;*&#@#