§£%/~~.... ....~~/%£§
#§£%/~~... ...~~/%£§#
##§£%/~~.. ..~~/%£§##
###§£%/~~. .~~/%£§###
##§£%/~~.. ..~~/%£§##
#§£%/~~... 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. .......~~/
%/~~...... ......~~/%
£%/~~..... .....~~/%£
§£%/~~.... ....~~/%£§
#§£%/~~... ...~~/%£§#
##§£%/~~.. ..~~/%£§##