#@§~...... ......~§@#
@§~~...... ......~~§@
###@§§^~~. .~~^§§@###
###@§§^~~. .~~^§§@###
###@§§^~~. .~~^§§@###
#@@@§§^~~. 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. .~~^§§@###
###@§§^~~. .~~^§§@###
@§~~~~~... ...~~~~~§@
###@§§^~~. .~~^§§@###
#@§§§§^~~. .~~^§§§§@#
###@§§^~~. .~~^§§@###