~,........ ........,~
*~,....... .......,~*
†*~,...... ......,~*†
¤†*~,..... .....,~*†¤
@¤†*~,.... ....,~*†¤@
#@¤†*~,... 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. .......,~*
~,........ ........,~
,......... .........,
.......... ..........
,......... .........,
~,........ ........,~