,,,,,,~»;= =;»~,,,,,,
,,,,,~»;=$ $=;»~,,,,,
,,,,~»;=$¶ ¶$=;»~,,,,
,,,~»;=$¶# #¶$=;»~,,,
,,~»;=$¶## ##¶$=;»~,,
,~»;=$¶### 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. ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~» »~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~»; ;»~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~»;= =;»~,,,,,,