§;~-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-~;§
%§;~-,,,,, ,,,,,-~;§%
#%§;~-,,,, ,,,,-~;§%#
##%§;~-,,, ,,,-~;§%##
###%§;~-,, ,,-~;§%###
####%§;~-, 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. ,,,,,-~;§%
#%§;~-,,,, ,,,,-~;§%#
##%§;~-,,, ,,,-~;§%##
###%§;~-,, ,,-~;§%###
####%§;~-, ,-~;§%####
###%§;~-,, ,,-~;§%###