*^»,...... ......,»^*
§*^»,..... .....,»^*§
&§*^»,.... ....,»^*§&
#&§*^»,... ...,»^*§&#
##&§*^»,.. ..,»^*§&##
###&§*^»,. 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. .....,»^*§
&§*^»,.... ....,»^*§&
#&§*^»,... ...,»^*§&#
##&§*^»,.. ..,»^*§&##
###&§*^»,. .,»^*§&###
##&§*^»,.. ..,»^*§&##