###&@†^~.. ..~^†@&###
##&@†^~... ...~^†@&##
#&@†^~.... ....~^†@&#
##&@†^~... ...~^†@&##
###&@†^~.. ..~^†@&###
##&@†^~... 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. ...~^†@&##
#&@†^~.... ....~^†@&#
##&@†^~... ...~^†@&##
###&@†^~.. ..~^†@&###
##&@†^~... ...~^†@&##
#&@†^~.... ....~^†@&#