.,=;%££### ###££%;=,.
.,=;%££### ###££%;=,.
.,=;%££### ###££%;=,.
.,=;;;££## ##££;;;=,.
.,=;%££### ###££%;=,.
.,=;%££### 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. ###££%;=,.
.....,;;%£ £%;;,.....
.,=;%££### ###££%;=,.
.,=;%££### ###££%;=,.
.,=;%££### ###££%;=,.
.,=;%££### ###££%;=,.