#@@@§=»:,, ,,:»=§@@@#
##@@@§=»:, ,:»=§@@@##
#@@@§=»:,, ,,:»=§@@@#
@@@§=»:,,, ,,,:»=§@@@
@@§=»:,,,, ,,,,:»=§@@
@§=»:,,,,, 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. ,,,:»=§@@@
#@@@§=»:,, ,,:»=§@@@#
##@@@§=»:, ,:»=§@@@##
#@@@§=»:,, ,,:»=§@@@#
@@@§=»:,,, ,,,:»=§@@@
@@§=»:,,,, ,,,,:»=§@@