%^†=:,,,,, ,,,,,:=†^%
§%^†=:,,,, ,,,,:=†^%§
£§%^†=:,,, ,,,:=†^%§£
#£§%^†=:,, ,,:=†^%§£#
##£§%^†=:, ,:=†^%§£##
#£§%^†=:,, 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. ,,,,:=†^%§
£§%^†=:,,, ,,,:=†^%§£
#£§%^†=:,, ,,:=†^%§£#
##£§%^†=:, ,:=†^%§£##
#£§%^†=:,, ,,:=†^%§£#
£§%^†=:,,, ,,,:=†^%§£