####%^:~,, ,,~:^%####
####%^:~,, ,,~:^%####
###^:~,,,, ,,,,~:^###
##%:~,,,,, ,,,,,~:%##
####%^:~,, ,,~:^%####
####%^:~,, 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. ,,~:^%####
####%^:~,, ,,~:^%####
#^:::,,,,, ,,,,,:::^#
####%^:~,, ,,~:^%####
#%%::,,,,, ,,,,,::%%#
#%:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:%#