§§§§&$:~,, ,,~:$&§§§§
@§&&&$:~,, ,,~:$&&&§@
#§$$~,,,,, ,,,,,~$$§#
#@&$$$:~,, ,,~:$$$&@#
§$::~,,,,, ,,,,,~::$§
§&$$~,,,,, GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,,,,,~$$&§
§§&:::~,,, 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. ,,~:$&§@##
@@@§&$:~,, ,,~:$&§@@@
@@&::~,,,, ,,,,~::&@@
@@@§&$:~,, ,,~:$&§@@@
##@§&$:~,, ,,~:$&§@##
###@§&:~,, ,,~:&§@###