¤§†=,..... .....,=†§¤
@¤§†=,.... ....,=†§¤@
#@¤§†=,... ...,=†§¤@#
##@¤§†=,.. ..,=†§¤@##
###@¤§†=,. .,=†§¤@###
##@¤§†=,.. 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. ......,=†§
¤§†=,..... .....,=†§¤
@¤§†=,.... ....,=†§¤@
#@¤§†=,... ...,=†§¤@#
##@¤§†=,.. ..,=†§¤@##
###@¤§†=,. .,=†§¤@###