##@#@$§\~. .~\§$@#@##
#@#@$§\~.. ..~\§$@#@#
@#@$§\~... ...~\§$@#@
#@$§\~.... ....~\§$@#
@$§\~..... .....~\§$@
$§\~...... GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ......~\§$
§\~....... 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. , , , .......~\§
$§\~...... . . . . . . ......~\§$
@$§\~..... . . . THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, . . . .....~\§$@
#@$§\~.... AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES ....~\§$@#
@#@$§\~... AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ...~\§$@#@
#@#@$§\~.. STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ..~\§$@#@#
##@#@$§\~. ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, .~\§$@#@##
#@#@$§\~.. LIKE CORPSES. ..~\§$@#@#
@#@$§\~... ...~\§$@#@
#@$§\~.... ....~\§$@#
@$§\~..... .....~\§$@
$§\~...... ......~\§$
§\~....... .......~\§