##§§%\»^,, ,,^»\%§§##
#§§%\»^,,, ,,,^»\%§§#
§§%\»^,,,, ,,,,^»\%§§
§%\»^,,,,, ,,,,,^»\%§
%\»^,,,,,, ,,,,,,^»\%
§%\»^,,,,, 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. ,^»\%§§###
##§§%\»^,, ,,^»\%§§##
#§§%\»^,,, ,,,^»\%§§#
§§%\»^,,,, ,,,,^»\%§§
§%\»^,,,,, ,,,,,^»\%§
%\»^,,,,,, ,,,,,,^»\%