,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,: 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. :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:= =:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:=* *=:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:=** **=:,,,,,,
,,,,,:=**% %**=:,,,,,
,,,,:=**%¤ ¤%**=:,,,,