##&*^~-... ...-~^*&##
###&*^~-.. ..-~^*&###
####&*^~-. .-~^*&####
###&*^~-.. ..-~^*&###
##&*^~-... ...-~^*&##
#&*^~-.... 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. ....-~^*&#
##&*^~-... ...-~^*&##
###&*^~-.. ..-~^*&###
####&*^~-. .-~^*&####
###&*^~-.. ..-~^*&###
##&*^~-... ...-~^*&##