###&*=*~,¨ ¨,~*=*&###
###&*=*~,¨ ¨,~*=*&###
#&*****~,¨ ¨,~*****&#
#&=~,,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,,~=&#
####&**~,¨ ¨,~**&####
###&*=*~,¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨,,**&&
#*=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=*#
#&&**=*~,¨ ¨,~*=**&&#
####&=*~,¨ ¨,~*=&####
###&*=*~,¨ ¨,~*=*&###
&==~~,,,¨¨ ¨¨,,,~~==&