.....£££.. ...£....£.
££££..£..£ ££...££...
.££....... £..£....£.
....£££££. .....££...
£££..£££.. ££££....££
££....£..£ 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. ..........
......£... ££££££££££
.££££...££ .££££££££.
..££..£..£ ..££££££..
£......... ...££££..£
..££££££££ ££..££....