##@@@*=~,, ,,~=*@@@##
@§*=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=*§@
#@@@§*=~,, ,,~=*§@@@#
@§=,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,=§@
#@@@§*=~,, ,,~=*§@@@#
@§**==~,,, 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. ,,~=*§@@@#
@§*~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~*§@
@*=~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~=*@
#@@@§*=~,, ,,~=*§@@@#
@***~,,,,, ,,,,,~***@
@@@@§*=~,, ,,~=*§@@@@