.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
:......... 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. ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
:......... .........:
»:........ ........:»