##@§%^;~:, ,:~;^%§@##
#@§%^;~:,, ,,:~;^%§@#
@§%^;~:,,, ,,,:~;^%§@
§%^;~:,,,, ,,,,:~;^%§
%^;~:,,,,, ,,,,,:~;^%
^;~:,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,:
~:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:~
;~:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:~;