##§%%\~,,,                                          ,,,~\%%§##
###§%%\~,,                                          ,,~\%%§###
##§%%\~,,,                                          ,,,~\%%§##
#§%%\~,,,,                                          ,,,,~\%%§#
§%%\~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~\%%§
%%\~,,,,,, 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.              ,,~\%%§###
##§%%\~,,,                                          ,,,~\%%§##
#§%%\~,,,,                                          ,,,,~\%%§#
§%%\~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~\%%§
%%\~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~\%%
%\~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~\%