.:~=^@§@##                                          ##@§@^=~:.
..::===^§@                                          @§^===::..
.....:==^§                                          §^==:.....
...:==@§§@                                          @§§@==:...
...:~==^^§                                          §^^==~:...
.:~=^@@### 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.              §§§^==~::.
.:~=^@§@##                                          ##@§@^=~:.
.:~=^^^@§§                                          §§@^^^=~:.
.:~=^@§@##                                          ##@§@^=~:.
.:~===^@@@                                          @@@^===~:.
.:~=^@§@##                                          ##@§@^=~:.