##¤¤=\=-.. ..-=\=¤¤##
#¤¤=\=-... ...-=\=¤¤#
¤¤=\=-.... ....-=\=¤¤
¤=\=-..... .....-=\=¤
=\=-...... ......-=\=
\=-....... 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. .......-=\
=\=-...... ......-=\=
¤=\=-..... .....-=\=¤
¤¤=\=-.... ....-=\=¤¤
#¤¤=\=-... ...-=\=¤¤#
##¤¤=\=-.. ..-=\=¤¤##