&§§«,,,,,, ,,,,,,«§§&
##@&@§:«., ,.«:§@&@##
##@&@§:«., ,.«:§@&@##
##@&@§:«., ,.«:§@&@##
###&@§:«., ,.«:§@&###
##@&@§:«., 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. ,.«:§@&&@@
###@@§:«., ,.«:§@@###
&&&@:«,,,, ,,,,«:@&&&
&@@:«,,,,, ,,,,,«:@@&
&§§:.,,,,, ,,,,,.:§§&
&&§:««.,,, ,,,.««:§&&