##¶¤%%==~. .~==%%¤¶##
##¶¤%%==~. .~==%%¤¶##
¶¶¤¤%%==~. .~==%%¤¤¶¶
###¤%%==~. .~==%%¤###
##¶¤%%==~. .~==%%¤¶##
##¶¤%%==~. 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. .~==%%¤¶¶#
¶¤%%=..... .....=%%¤¶
#¤%%=~.... ....~=%%¤#
###¶¤%==~. .~==%¤¶###
##¶¤%%==~. .~==%%¤¶##
##¶¤%%==~. .~==%%¤¶##