,~-\§%§@## ##@§%§\-~,
~-\§%§@### ###@§%§\-~
,~-\§%§@## ##@§%§\-~,
,,~-\§%§@# #@§%§\-~,,
,,,~-\§%§@ @§%§\-~,,,
,,,,~-\§%§ 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. §\-~,,,,,,
,,,,,~-\§% %§\-~,,,,,
,,,,~-\§%§ §%§\-~,,,,
,,,~-\§%§@ @§%§\-~,,,
,,~-\§%§@# #@§%§\-~,,
,~-\§%§@## ##@§%§\-~,