#§$=^~-... ...-~^=$§#
§$=^~-.... ....-~^=$§
$=^~-..... .....-~^=$
=^~-...... ......-~^=
^~-....... .......-~^
~-........ 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. ......-~^=
$=^~-..... .....-~^=$
§$=^~-.... ....-~^=$§
#§$=^~-... ...-~^=$§#
##§$=^~-.. ..-~^=$§##
###§$=^~-. .-~^=$§###