##&¤$:~-,, ,,-~:$¤&##
###&¤$:~-, ,-~:$¤&###
##&¤$:~-,, ,,-~:$¤&##
#&¤$:~-,,, ,,,-~:$¤&#
&¤$:~-,,,, ,,,,-~:$¤&
#&¤$:~-,,, GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,,,-~:$¤&#
##&¤$:~-,, GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ,,-~:$¤&##
###&¤$:~-, ,-~:$¤&###
##&¤$:~-,, BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ,,-~:$¤&##
#&¤$:~-,,, SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ,,,-~:$¤&#
&¤$:~-,,,, COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ,,,,-~:$¤&
#&¤$:~-,,, REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ,,,-~:$¤&#
##&¤$:~-,, HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT ,,-~:$¤&##
###&¤$:~-, AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS ,-~:$¤&###
##&¤$:~-,, FROM BELOW. ,,-~:$¤&##
#&¤$:~-,,, ,,,-~:$¤&#
&¤$:~-,,,, LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN ,,,,-~:$¤&
#&¤$:~-,,, THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING ,,,-~:$¤&#
##&¤$:~-,, DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH ,,-~:$¤&##
###&¤$:~-, ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS ,-~:$¤&###
##&¤$:~-,, REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING ,,-~:$¤&##
#&¤$:~-,,, BECAME A SLUDGE. ,,,-~:$¤&#
&¤$:~-,,,, ,,,,-~:$¤&
#&¤$:~-,,, AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE ,,,-~:$¤&#
##&¤$:~-,, SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. ,,-~:$¤&##
###&¤$:~-, ,-~:$¤&###
##&¤$:~-,, ######################################## ,,-~:$¤&##
#&¤$:~-,,, # # ,,,-~:$¤&#
&¤$:~-,,,, # ######&#&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&#&###### # ,,,,-~:$¤&
#&¤$:~-,,, # # # # ,,,-~:$¤&#
##&¤$:~-,, # # #@@&$&$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$&$&@@# # # ,,-~:$¤&##
###&¤$:~-, @ # # # # @ ,-~:$¤&###
##&¤$:~-,, @ # # THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, # # @ ,,-~:$¤&##
#&¤$:~-,,, ¤ # @ PREPARED FOR LAUNCH, @ # ¤ ,,,-~:$¤&#
&¤$:~-,,,, $ @ @ 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. ,-~:$¤&###
##&¤$:~-,, ,,-~:$¤&##
#&¤$:~-,,, ,,,-~:$¤&#
&¤$:~-,,,, ,,,,-~:$¤&
#&¤$:~-,,, ,,,-~:$¤&#
##&¤$:~-,, ,,-~:$¤&##