#¶¶@$%†~~. .~~†%$@¶¶#
###¶$%†~~. .~~†%$¶###
###¶@$†~~. .~~†$@¶###
¶¶¶@$%†~~. .~~†%$@¶¶¶
##¶@$%†~~. .~~†%$@¶##
¶$$%~~.... GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ....~~%$$¶
@%%%†~.... 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, ....~~~†%@
##¶@$%†~~. LIKE CORPSES. .~~†%$@¶##
##¶@$%†~~. .~~†%$@¶##
¶@$†~~.... ....~~†$@¶
##¶@$%†~~. .~~†%$@¶##
¶@$%†~~... ...~~†%$@¶
##¶@$%†~~. .~~†%$@¶##