§*=†«.,,,, ,,,,.«†=*§
¶§*=†«.,,, ,,,.«†=*§¶
#¶§*=†«.,, ,,.«†=*§¶#
##¶§*=†«., ,.«†=*§¶##
#¶§*=†«.,, ,,.«†=*§¶#
¶§*=†«.,,, 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. ,,,.«†=*§¶
#¶§*=†«.,, ,,.«†=*§¶#
##¶§*=†«., ,.«†=*§¶##
#¶§*=†«.,, ,,.«†=*§¶#
¶§*=†«.,,, ,,,.«†=*§¶
§*=†«.,,,, ,,,,.«†=*§