&%$=»,.... ....,»=$%&
#&%$=»,... ...,»=$%&#
@#&%$=»,.. ..,»=$%&#@
#@#&%$=»,. .,»=$%&#@#
@#&%$=»,.. ..,»=$%&#@
#&%$=»,... GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ...,»=$%&#
&%$=»,.... GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ....,»=$%&
%$=»,..... .....,»=$%
$=»,...... BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ......,»=$
%$=»,..... SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL .....,»=$%
&%$=»,.... COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ....,»=$%&
#&%$=»,... REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ...,»=$%&#
@#&%$=»,.. HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT ..,»=$%&#@
#@#&%$=»,. AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS .,»=$%&#@#
@#&%$=»,.. FROM BELOW. ..,»=$%&#@
#&%$=»,... ...,»=$%&#
&%$=»,.... LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN ....,»=$%&
%$=»,..... THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING .....,»=$%
$=»,...... DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH ......,»=$
%$=»,..... ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS .....,»=$%
&%$=»,.... REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING ....,»=$%&
#&%$=»,... BECAME A SLUDGE. ...,»=$%&#
@#&%$=»,.. ..,»=$%&#@
#@#&%$=»,. AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE .,»=$%&#@#
@#&%$=»,.. SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. ..,»=$%&#@
#&%$=»,... ...,»=$%&#
&%$=»,.... ######################################## ....,»=$%&
%$=»,..... # # .....,»=$%
$=»,...... # #@#@@@&@&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&@&@@@#@# # ......,»=$
%$=»,..... # @ @ # .....,»=$%
&%$=»,.... @ @ @##&$&$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$&$&##@ @ @ ....,»=$%&
#&%$=»,... # @ @ @ @ # ...,»=$%&#
@#&%$=»,.. # @ @ THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, @ @ # ..,»=$%&#@
#@#&%$=»,. % @ # PREPARED FOR LAUNCH, # @ % .,»=$%&#@#
@#&%$=»,.. $ # # 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 .....,»=$%
$=»,...... ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ......,»=$
%$=»,..... LIKE CORPSES. .....,»=$%
&%$=»,.... ....,»=$%&
#&%$=»,... ...,»=$%&#
@#&%$=»,.. ..,»=$%&#@
#@#&%$=»,. .,»=$%&#@#
@#&%$=»,.. ..,»=$%&#@