@§$§:=:... ...:=:§$§@
§$§:=:.... ....:=:§$§
@§$§:=:... ...:=:§$§@
#@§$§:=:.. ..:=:§$§@#
##@§$§:=:. .:=:§$§@##
#@§$§:=:.. GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ..:=:§$§@#
@§$§:=:... GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ...:=:§$§@
§$§:=:.... ....:=:§$§
@§$§:=:... BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ...:=:§$§@
#@§$§:=:.. SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ..:=:§$§@#
##@§$§:=:. COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY .:=:§$§@##
#@§$§:=:.. REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ..:=:§$§@#
@§$§:=:... HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT ...:=:§$§@
§$§:=:.... AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS ....:=:§$§
@§$§:=:... FROM BELOW. ...:=:§$§@
#@§$§:=:.. ..:=:§$§@#
##@§$§:=:. LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN .:=:§$§@##
#@§$§:=:.. THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING ..:=:§$§@#
@§$§:=:... DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH ...:=:§$§@
§$§:=:.... ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS ....:=:§$§
@§$§:=:... REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING ...:=:§$§@
#@§$§:=:.. BECAME A SLUDGE. ..:=:§$§@#
##@§$§:=:. .:=:§$§@##
#@§$§:=:.. AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE ..:=:§$§@#
@§$§:=:... SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. ...:=:§$§@
§$§:=:.... ....:=:§$§
@§$§:=:... ######################################## ...:=:§$§@
#@§$§:=:.. # # ..:=:§$§@#
##@§$§:=:. # ######§#§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§#§###### # .:=:§$§@##
#@§$§:=:.. # # # # ..:=:§$§@#
@§$§:=:... # # #@@§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§@@# # # ...:=:§$§@
§$§:=:.... @ # # # # @ ....:=:§$§
@§$§:=:... @ # # THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, # # @ ...:=:§$§@
#@§$§:=:.. $ # @ 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. ....:=:§$§
@§$§:=:... ...:=:§$§@
#@§$§:=:.. ..:=:§$§@#
##@§$§:=:. .:=:§$§@##
#@§$§:=:.. ..:=:§$§@#
@§$§:=:... ...:=:§$§@