&%^;,,,,,, ,,,,,,;^%&
#@#&%^;~,, ,,~;^%&#@#
&%%^~~,,,, ,,,,~~^%%&
###&%^;~,, ,,~;^%&###
###&%^;~,, ,,~;^%&###
##@#%^;~,, 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. ,,~;^%&#@@
@&%%^~,,,, ,,,,~^%%&@
&&&%^~,,,, ,,,,~^%&&&
&&^^;,,,,, ,,,,,;^^&&
#%^~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~^%#
#@#&%^;~,, ,,~;^%&#@#