.,-=§&§###                                          ###§&§=-,.
..,--§&&##                                          ##&&§--,..
.,-=§&§###                                          ###§&§=-,.
..,,,=&&§#                                          #§&&=,,,..
.,-=§&§###                                          ###§&§=-,.
.,-=§&§### 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.              #&====-,,.
.,-=§&§§§#                                          #§§§&§=-,.
....,=§§§§                                          §§§§=,....
...,=§&&##                                          ##&&§=,...
...,-==&##                                          ##&==-,...
.,-=§&§###                                          ###§&§=-,.