####§%:»~, ,~»:%§####
###§$%:»~, ,~»:%$§###
###§$%:»~, ,~»:%$§###
###§$%:»~, ,~»:%$§###
##§%:~,,,, ,,,,~:%§##
§$$%:::»~, GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,~»:::%$$§
#$::»~,,,, GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ,,,,~»::$#
###§$%:»~, ,~»:%$§###
####§$:»~, BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ,~»:$§####
###§$%:»~, SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ,~»:%$§###
§$::~~~,,, COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ,,,~~~::$§
#$:~,,,,,, REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ,,,,,,~:$#
#§%%:~,,,, 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, ,,~~»%%§§#
§$$%»~,,,, LIKE CORPSES. ,,,,~»%$$§
###§$%:»~, ,~»:%$§###
###§$%:»~, ,~»:%$§###
#§§§$%:»~, ,~»:%$§§§#
§%:~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~:%§
####$%:»~, ,~»:%$####