#§§\\~~~¨¨ ¨¨~~~\\§§#
###@§*\»~¨ ¨~»\*§@###
#§\»~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~»\§#
@§§\»~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~»\§§@
###@§*\»~¨ ¨~»\*§@###
####§*\»~¨ 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. ¨~»»\\*§§#
###@§*\»~¨ ¨~»\*§@###
##@@§*\»~¨ ¨~»\*§@@##
###@§*\»~¨ ¨~»\*§@###
###@§*\»~¨ ¨~»\*§@###
###@§*\»~¨ ¨~»\*§@###