;~-....... .......-~;
§;~-...... ......-~;§
$§;~-..... .....-~;§$
¤$§;~-.... ....-~;§$¤
#¤$§;~-... ...-~;§$¤#
@#¤$§;~-.. GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ..-~;§$¤#@
#@#¤$§;~-. GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. .-~;§$¤#@#
##@#¤$§;~- -~;§$¤#@##
#@#¤$§;~-. BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, .-~;§$¤#@#
@#¤$§;~-.. SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ..-~;§$¤#@
#¤$§;~-... COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ...-~;§$¤#
¤$§;~-.... REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ....-~;§$¤
$§;~-..... HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT .....-~;§$
§;~-...... 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. ......-~;§
$§;~-..... .....-~;§$
¤$§;~-.... ....-~;§$¤
#¤$§;~-... ...-~;§$¤#
@#¤$§;~-.. ..-~;§$¤#@
#@#¤$§;~-. .-~;§$¤#@#