£§*/~-....                                          ....-~/*§£
§*/~-.....                                          .....-~/*§
*/~-......                                          ......-~/*
§*/~-.....                                          .....-~/*§
£§*/~-....                                          ....-~/*§£
@£§*/~-... 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.              ...-~/*§£@
£§*/~-....                                          ....-~/*§£
§*/~-.....                                          .....-~/*§
*/~-......                                          ......-~/*
§*/~-.....                                          .....-~/*§
£§*/~-....                                          ....-~/*§£