§§§%»»»»,, ,,»»»»%§§§
§§@*»,,,,, ,,,,,»*@§§
##@§@%*»,, ,,»*%@§@##
#@@§@%*»,, ,,»*%@§@@#
@@@*»,,,,, ,,,,,»*@@@
@@@@%*,,,, 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. ,,»*%§@@##
##@@§@*»,, ,,»*@§@@##
#@@§@%*»,, ,,»*%@§@@#
@§@%%»»»,, ,,»»»%%@§@
#@@§@%*»,, ,,»*%@§@@#
##@@§%*»,, ,,»*%§@@##