,,«*=%§¶##                                          ##¶§%=*«,,
,,,,,««*%§                                          §%*««,,,,,
,,«*==%§¶#                                          #¶§%==*«,,
,,,,,,,*%¶                                          ¶%*,,,,,,,
,,«=%§¶###                                          ###¶§%=«,,
,,«*=%§### 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.              §%%%%=*«,,
,,,,,««*%¶                                          ¶%*««,,,,,
,,«*=%§¶##                                          ##¶§%=*«,,
,,,,,«*%%¶                                          ¶%%*«,,,,,
,,,,,«**=§                                          §=**«,,,,,
,,«*=§¶###                                          ###¶§=*«,,