.....,=:§* *§:=,.....
......,=:§ §:=,......
.....,=:§* *§:=,.....
....,=:§*§ §*§:=,....
...,=:§*§¶ ¶§*§:=,...
..,=:§*§¶# 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. §*§:=,....
.....,=:§* *§:=,.....
......,=:§ §:=,......
.....,=:§* *§:=,.....
....,=:§*§ §*§:=,....
...,=:§*§¶ ¶§*§:=,...