§=**...... ......**=§
§=*=...... ......=*=§
#@#§*=*=.. ..=*=*§#@#
###§*=*=.. ..=*=*§###
#@#§*=*=.. ..=*=*§#@#
#@#§*=*=.. 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. ......==*§
#@#§*=*=.. ..=*=*§#@#
#§=*===... ...===*=§#
##*=====.. ..=====*##
##@§*=*=.. ..=*=*§@##
#@#§*=*=.. ..=*=*§#@#