,,,,,^~\*§ §*\~^,,,,,
,,,,,,^~\* *\~^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^~\ \~^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^~ ~^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^~\ \~^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^~\* 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. £§*\~^,,,,
,,,^~\*§£@ @£§*\~^,,,
,,^~\*§£@# #@£§*\~^,,
,^~\*§£@## ##@£§*\~^,
,,^~\*§£@# #@£§*\~^,,
,,,^~\*§£@ @£§*\~^,,,