.,»^^%&&## ##&&%^^»,.
.,»^^%&### ###&%^^»,.
.,»^^%&#@@ @@#&%^^»,.
.,»^^^%%%& &%%%^^^»,.
.,»^^%&### ###&%^^»,.
.,»^^%&&#@ 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. #&%^^»....
.,»^^%&#@# #@#&%^^»,.
....,^^^^& &^^^^,....
.,»^^%&#@# #@#&%^^»,.
.,»^^%&### ###&%^^»,.
.,»^^%&#@@ @@#&%^^»,.