###$§/»~.. ..~»/§$###
##$§/»~... ...~»/§$##
#$§/»~.... ....~»/§$#
$§/»~..... .....~»/§$
§/»~...... ......~»/§
/»~....... 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. ..........
.......... ..........
~......... .........~
»~........ ........~»
/»~....... .......~»/
§/»~...... ......~»/§