###@§†/»~, ,~»/†§@###
###§%†/»~, ,~»/†%§###
##@§%†/»~, ,~»/†%§@##
§††/~,,,,, ,,,,,~/††§
##@§%†/»~, ,~»/†%§@##
##@§%†/»~, 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. ,,,,,,,»†§
§†»»»,,,,, ,,,,,»»»†§
@%%%/~~,,, ,,,~~/%%%@
§†»»»,,,,, ,,,,,»»»†§
##@§%†/»~, ,~»/†%§@##
§%%†//»~~, ,~~»//†%%§