$§;-:..... .....:-;§$
#$§;-:.... ....:-;§$#
##$§;-:... ...:-;§$##
###$§;-:.. ..:-;§$###
####$§;-:. .:-;§$####
###$§;-:.. GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ..:-;§$###
##$§;-:... GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ...:-;§$##
#$§;-:.... ....:-;§$#
$§;-:..... BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, .....:-;§$
§;-:...... 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. ......:-;§
;-:....... .......:-;
-:........ ........:-
:......... .........:
.......... ..........
.......... ..........