¤*»^^..... .....^^»*¤
###¤¤*\»^. .^»\*¤¤###
###¤¤*\»^. .^»\*¤¤###
###¤¤*\»^. .^»\*¤¤###
¤¤\\^..... .....^\\¤¤
###¤¤*\»^. 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. .^»\*¤¤###
###¤¤*\»^. .^»\*¤¤###
##¤¤¤*\»^. .^»\*¤¤¤##
¤¤\^...... ......^\¤¤
#¤¤¤¤*\»^. .^»\*¤¤¤¤#
###¤¤*\»^. .^»\*¤¤###