,,,,,,,~~; ;~~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~~;= =;~~,,,,,,
,,,,,~~;=£ £=;~~,,,,,
,,,,~~;=£§ §£=;~~,,,,
,,,~~;=£§# #§£=;~~,,,
,,~~;=£§## 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. ##§£=;~~,,
,,,~~;=£§# #§£=;~~,,,
,,,,~~;=£§ §£=;~~,,,,
,,,,,~~;=£ £=;~~,,,,,
,,,,,,~~;= =;~~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~~; ;~~,,,,,,,