~-,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,-~
-,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,-
~-,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,-~
*~-,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,-~*
%*~-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-~*%
@%*~-,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,-
~-,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,-~
*~-,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,-~*
%*~-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-~*%
@%*~-,,,,, ,,,,,-~*%@
#@%*~-,,,, ,,,,-~*%@#