¤%*†«-,,,, ,,,,-«†*%¤
%*†«-,,,,, ,,,,,-«†*%
*†«-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-«†*
%*†«-,,,,, ,,,,,-«†*%
¤%*†«-,,,, ,,,,-«†*%¤
#¤%*†«-,,, 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. ,,,-«†*%¤#
¤%*†«-,,,, ,,,,-«†*%¤
%*†«-,,,,, ,,,,,-«†*%
*†«-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-«†*
%*†«-,,,,, ,,,,,-«†*%
¤%*†«-,,,, ,,,,-«†*%¤