###¤%§/»,. .,»/§%¤###
¤§/,,..... .....,,/§¤
#%%/»»,... ...,»»/%%#
###¤%§/»,. .,»/§%¤###
¤¤¤¤%§/»,. .,»/§%¤¤¤¤
##%%§/»... 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. .,»/§%¤###
###¤%§/»,. .,»/§%¤###
¤%%%§».... ....»§%%%¤
#¤%///»,.. ..,»///%¤#
¤§/»,,.... ....,,»/§¤
¤%//»»»,.. ..,»»»//%¤