,,-~:*@£#@ @#£@*:~-,,
,-~:*@£#@# #@#£@*:~-,
-~:*@£#@## ##@#£@*:~-
,-~:*@£#@# #@#£@*:~-,
,,-~:*@£#@ @#£@*:~-,,
,,,-~:*@£# 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. @*:~-,,,,,
,,,,-~:*@£ £@*:~-,,,,
,,,-~:*@£# #£@*:~-,,,
,,-~:*@£#@ @#£@*:~-,,
,-~:*@£#@# #@#£@*:~-,
-~:*@£#@## ##@#£@*:~-