@§$$^===^, ,^===^$$§@
##@§$*^=^, ,^=^*$§@##
#@@§$*^=^, ,^=^*$§@@#
#§*=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=*§#
##@§$*^=^, ,^=^*$§@##
##@§$*^=^, GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,^=^*$§@##
#@§$$*^=^, GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ,^=^*$$§@#
§*^=^,,,,, ,,,,,^=^*§
§**^==,,,, 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, ,^=^*$§@##
#@§*^===^, LIKE CORPSES. ,^===^*§@#
##@§$*^=^, ,^=^*$§@##
@@§$*^^,,, ,,,^^*$§@@
###§$*^=^, ,^=^*$§###
§§*=^^,,,, ,,,,^^=*§§
##@§$*^=^, ,^=^*$§@##