,,,,,,:«\% %\«:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«\ \«:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:« «:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,: :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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. \«:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:«\% %\«:,,,,,,
,,,,,:«\%# #%\«:,,,,,
,,,,:«\%#@ @#%\«:,,,,
,,,:«\%#@@ @@#%\«:,,,
,,:«\%#@@# #@@#%\«:,,