##£§$%\~~. .~~\%$§£##
#£§$%\~~.. ..~~\%$§£#
£§$%\~~... ...~~\%$§£
§$%\~~.... ....~~\%$§
$%\~~..... .....~~\%$
%\~~...... 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. ......~~\%
$%\~~..... .....~~\%$
§$%\~~.... ....~~\%$§
£§$%\~~... ...~~\%$§£
#£§$%\~~.. ..~~\%$§£#
##£§$%\~~. .~~\%$§£##