\~:....... .......:~\
*\~:...... ......:~\*
$*\~:..... .....:~\*$
#$*\~:.... ....:~\*$#
¶#$*\~:... ...:~\*$#¶
#¶#$*\~:.. GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ..:~\*$#¶#
##¶#$*\~:. GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. .:~\*$#¶##
#¶#$*\~:.. ..:~\*$#¶#
¶#$*\~:... BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ...:~\*$#¶
#$*\~:.... SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ....:~\*$#
$*\~:..... COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY .....:~\*$
*\~:...... 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. ........:~
:......... .........:
.......... ..........
:......... .........:
~:........ ........:~
\~:....... .......:~\