@#§%*~~... ...~~*%§#@
#§%*~~.... ....~~*%§#
§%*~~..... .....~~*%§
%*~~...... ......~~*%
*~~....... .......~~*
%*~~...... 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. ....~~*%§#
§%*~~..... .....~~*%§
%*~~...... ......~~*%
*~~....... .......~~*
%*~~...... ......~~*%
§%*~~..... .....~~*%§