#%^\~~,,,, ,,,,~~\^%#
##%^\~~,,, ,,,~~\^%##
###%^\~~,, ,,~~\^%###
####%^\~~, ,~~\^%####
###%^\~~,, ,,~~\^%###
##%^\~~,,, 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. ,,,~~\^%##
#%^\~~,,,, ,,,,~~\^%#
%^\~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~\^%
^\~~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~~\^
\~~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~~\
~~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~~