###§@§/~-. .-~/§@§###
##§@§§/~-. .-~/§§@§##
###§@§/~-. .-~/§@§###
###§@§/~-. .-~/§@§###
###§@§/~-. .-~/§@§###
##@@@§/~-. 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. .-~/§@§§##
###§@§/~-. .-~/§@§###
###§@§/~-. .-~/§@§###
§@//---... ...---//@§
###§@§/~-. .-~/§@§###
#§§/-..... .....-/§§#