*%:--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--:%*
#*%:--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--:%*#
¶#*%:--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--:%*#¶
#¶#*%:--¨¨ ¨¨--:%*#¶#
##¶#*%:--¨ ¨--:%*#¶##
###¶#*%:-- 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. ¨¨--:%*#¶#
¶#*%:--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--:%*#¶
#*%:--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--:%*#
*%:--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--:%*
%:--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨--:%
:--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--: