#####%*^=, ,=^*%#####
####%*^=,¨ ¨,=^*%####
###%*^=,¨¨ ¨¨,=^*%###
####%*^=,¨ ¨,=^*%####
#####%*^=, ,=^*%#####
####%*^=,¨ 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. ¨,=^*%####
###%*^=,¨¨ ¨¨,=^*%###
####%*^=,¨ ¨,=^*%####
#####%*^=, ,=^*%#####
####%*^=,¨ ¨,=^*%####
###%*^=,¨¨ ¨¨,=^*%###