=^~,...... ......,~^=
^~,....... .......,~^
~,........ ........,~
,......... .........,
~,........ ........,~
^~,....... 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. .......,~^
~,........ ........,~
,......... .........,
~,........ ........,~
^~,....... .......,~^
=^~,...... ......,~^=