####%*^«:. .:«^*%####
##*^:..... .....:^*##
#%^««..... .....««^%#
####%*^«:. .:«^*%####
##**«..... .....«**##
#%^«...... 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. .......«*#
####%*^«:. .:«^*%####
###%*«.... ....«*%###
####%*^«:. .:«^*%####
####%*^«:. .:«^*%####
####%*^«:. .:«^*%####