....,^$$##                                          ##$$^,....
.,=^^$§###                                          ###§$^^=,.
.,=^^§####                                          ####§^^=,.
.,=^^$§###                                          ###§$^^=,.
.,=^^$§###                                          ###§$^^=,.
.,=^^$§### GRAY  SKIES,  SWIRLING WITH  SOOT. STONY ###§$^^=,.
.,=^^$§§## GROUND  WITH  NO  HINTS  OF  VEGETATION. ##§§$^^=,.
.,=^^$§###                                          ###§$^^=,.
.,=^^$§### BELOW   THE  SURFACE  ARE   THE   MINES, ###§$^^=,.
.....,^$§§ SPIRALING  DOWN INTO  THE  CRUST.  SMALL §§$^,.....
.,=^^$§### COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY  EVENTUALLY ###§$^^=,.
....,^^§§§ 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,       §^=,......
.,=^^$§###              LIKE CORPSES.               ###§$^^=,.
.,=^^$§###                                          ###§$^^=,.
.,=^^$§###                                          ###§$^^=,.
.,=^^§####                                          ####§^^=,.
...,^^^^^§                                          §^^^^^,...
...,^^^$§#                                          #§$^^^,...