..,,==*§@@ @@§*==,,..
.,=*^§&@## ##@&§^*=,.
.,=*^§&@## ##@&§^*=,.
....,,=^&& &&^=,,....
.,=*^§&@@@ @@@&§^*=,.
....,*^&&# 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. ##@&§^*=,.
.,=*^§&### ###&§^*=,.
.....,*§&@ @&§*,.....
.,=*^§&@## ##@&§^*=,.
.,=*^§&@## ##@&§^*=,.
.,,=*^^&&@ @&&^^*=,,.