@§§*=..... .....=*§§@
@@§§*=.... ....=*§§@@
#@@§§*=... ...=*§§@@#
##@@§§*=.. ..=*§§@@##
#@@§§*=... ...=*§§@@#
@@§§*=.... 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. ....=*§§@@
#@@§§*=... ...=*§§@@#
##@@§§*=.. ..=*§§@@##
#@@§§*=... ...=*§§@@#
@@§§*=.... ....=*§§@@
@§§*=..... .....=*§§@