,^^^=§@@&& &&@@§=^^^,
,^=*§@&### ###&@§*=^,
,^=*§@&&¶# #¶&&@§*=^,
,^=*§@@@@& &@@@@§*=^,
,,,,,=§§&& &&§§=,,,,,
,^=*§@@&&¶ 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. ##¶&@§*=^,
,^=*§@&&&# #&&&@§*=^,
,^=*§@&¶## ##¶&@§*=^,
,,,^*§§§&¶ ¶&§§§*^,,,
,^=*§@&¶## ##¶&@§*=^,
,^=*§@&¶¶# #¶¶&@§*=^,