,,,,,,./%§ §%/.,,,,,,
,.-/%§§@@# #@@§§%/-.,
,.-//%§§§@ @§§§%//-.,
,,,,,.-%§§ §§%-.,,,,,
,,,,,,.-%§ §%-.,,,,,,
,,,.../%§@ 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. @@@§§%/-.,
,.-/%§§@## ##@§§%/-.,
,.-/%§§@## ##@§§%/-.,
,.-/%§§@@# #@@§§%/-.,
,,,,-%§§§@ @§§§%-,,,,
,,,,./%§§§ §§§%/.,,,,