&%$////-,, ,,-////$%&
###&%$/-,, ,,-/$%&###
&&&%/-,,,, ,,,,-/%&&&
#%$$/-,,,, ,,,,-/$$%#
####&$/-,, ,,-/$&####
##&%%$/-,, GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,,-/$%%&##
####&%$-,, GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ,,-$%&####
###&%$/-,, ,,-/$%&###
#&$//,,,,, BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ,,,,,//$&#
###&%$/-,, SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ,,-/$%&###
###&%$/-,, COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ,,-/$%&###
###&%$/-,, REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ,,-/$%&###
&&%/,,,,,, 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 # # $ ,,,,-$$&&&
#%%%%$/-,, / & # HOURS AGO. ELVES IN THE # & / ,,-/$%%%%#
##&&%$/-,, / $ & PASSENGER CABIN, NOT YET & $ / ,,-/$%&&##
##%%$//-,, - / & SEATED. BUT SOMETHING IS & / - ,,-//$%%##
&&%/-,,,,, - - % WRONG. THERE IS SOMETHING % - - ,,,,,-/%&&
###&%$/-,, , , $ GREEN AROUND THEIR MOUTHS. $ , , ,,-/$%&###
###&%$/-,, , , / THE SLUDGE HAS BEEN SAMPLED, / , , ,,-/$%&###
&$///--,,, , , - ENTERTAINED, AND THEN - , , ,,,--///$&
###&%$/-,, , , , FINALLY BINGED ON. , , , ,,-/$%&###
#&&$--,,,, , , , , , , ,,,,--$&&#
&$/--,,,,, , , , THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, , , , ,,,,,--/$&
&%$-,,,,,, AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES ,,,,,,-$%&
#&%%$-,,,, AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ,,,,-$%%&#
###&%$/-,, STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ,,-/$%&###
###&%$/-,, ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ,,-/$%&###
###&%$/-,, LIKE CORPSES. ,,-/$%&###
####&%$-,, ,,-$%&####
###&%$/-,, ,,-/$%&###
###&%$/-,, ,,-/$%&###
#&%%$$/-,, ,,-/$$%%&#
#&$$$/,,,, ,,,,/$$$&#