##¶¤&§==:, ,:==§&¤¶##
#¶¤&§==:,, ,,:==§&¤¶#
¶¤&§==:,,, ,,,:==§&¤¶
¤&§==:,,,, ,,,,:==§&¤
&§==:,,,,, ,,,,,:==§&
§==:,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,:==§
&§==:,,,,, ,,,,,:==§&
¤&§==:,,,, ,,,,:==§&¤
¶¤&§==:,,, ,,,:==§&¤¶
#¶¤&§==:,, ,,:==§&¤¶#
##¶¤&§==:, ,:==§&¤¶##