*:»,...... ......,»:*
¤*:»,..... .....,»:*¤
£¤*:»,.... ....,»:*¤£
££¤*:»,... ...,»:*¤££
#££¤*:»,.. ..,»:*¤££#
##££¤*:»,. 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. .....,»:*¤
£¤*:»,.... ....,»:*¤£
££¤*:»,... ...,»:*¤££
#££¤*:»,.. ..,»:*¤££#
##££¤*:»,. .,»:*¤££##
#££¤*:»,.. ..,»:*¤££#