¤%//««««-. .-««««//%¤
#¶¶¤£%/«-. .-«/%£¤¶¶#
#¶¶¤£%/«-. .-«/%£¤¶¶#
#¶£%/-.... ....-/%£¶#
¶£/--..... .....--/£¶
##¶¤£%/«-. 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. .-«/%£¤¶##
¤%//«..... .....«//%¤
##¶¤£%/«-. .-«/%£¤¶##
##¶¤£%/«-. .-«/%£¤¶##
#¶££%«---. .---«%££¶#
##¶¤£%/«-. .-«/%£¤¶##