......,~*= =*~,......
.....,~*=& &=*~,.....
....,~*=&¤ ¤&=*~,....
...,~*=&¤# #¤&=*~,...
..,~*=&¤#@ @#¤&=*~,..
.,~*=&¤#@# 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. &=*~,.....
....,~*=&¤ ¤&=*~,....
...,~*=&¤# #¤&=*~,...
..,~*=&¤#@ @#¤&=*~,..
.,~*=&¤#@# #@#¤&=*~,.
..,~*=&¤#@ @#¤&=*~,..