@@@§*=/~-. .-~/=*§@@@
@*====/~-. .-~/====*@
##@§*=/~-. .-~/=*§@##
@§===~-... ...-~===§@
§*=~...... ......~=*§
##@§*=/~-. 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. ......~/*§
##@§*=/~-. .-~/=*§@##
#@§=~..... .....~=§@#
@§=///-... ...-///=§@
##@§*=/~-. .-~/=*§@##
§§***=/~-. .-~/=***§§