###§†\«~.. ..~«\†§###
##§†\«~... ...~«\†§##
#§†\«~.... ....~«\†§#
§†\«~..... .....~«\†§
†\«~...... ......~«\†
\«~....... 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. .......~«\
†\«~...... ......~«\†
§†\«~..... .....~«\†§
#§†\«~.... ....~«\†§#
##§†\«~... ...~«\†§##
###§†\«~.. ..~«\†§###