,,~-\%%### ###%%\-~,,
,~-\%%#### ####%%\-~,
,,~-\%%### ###%%\-~,,
,,,~-\%%## ##%%\-~,,,
,,,,~-\%%# #%%\-~,,,,
,,,,,~-\%% 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. ##%%\-~,,,
,,~-\%%### ###%%\-~,,
,~-\%%#### ####%%\-~,
,,~-\%%### ###%%\-~,,
,,,~-\%%## ##%%\-~,,,
,,,,~-\%%# #%%\-~,,,,