###¶§%\-,. .,-\%§¶###
##¶§%=\-,. .,-\=%§¶##
##¶§%=\-,. .,-\=%§¶##
##¶§%=\-,. .,-\=%§¶##
#¶%%\-,... ...,-\%%¶#
##¶§%=\-,. 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. .,-\=%§¶##
##¶§%=\-,. .,-\=%§¶##
#¶§§%=\-,. .,-\=%§§¶#
##¶§%=\-,. .,-\=%§¶##
§=--...... ......--=§
#§=--..... .....--=§#