#@*/»~.... ....~»/*@#
@#@*/»~... ...~»/*@#@
#@#@*/»~.. ..~»/*@#@#
##@#@*/»~. .~»/*@#@##
#@#@*/»~.. ..~»/*@#@#
@#@*/»~... 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. .........~
»~........ ........~»
/»~....... .......~»/
*/»~...... ......~»/*
@*/»~..... .....~»/*@
#@*/»~.... ....~»/*@#