##@§%*\-~, ,~-\*%§@##
#@§%*\-~,, ,,~-\*%§@#
@§%*\-~,,, ,,,~-\*%§@
§%*\-~,,,, ,,,,~-\*%§
%*\-~,,,,, ,,,,,~-\*%
*\-~,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,~-
\-~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~-\
*\-~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~-\*
%*\-~,,,,, ,,,,,~-\*%
§%*\-~,,,, ,,,,~-\*%§
@§%*\-~,,, ,,,~-\*%§@