##¶#§$†~,. .,~†$§#¶##
##¶#§$†~,. .,~†$§#¶##
##¶#§$†~,. .,~†$§#¶##
¶§††,..... .....,††§¶
##¶#§$†~,. .,~†$§#¶##
##$~~..... GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY .....~~$##
¶§$†,..... GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. .....,†$§¶
###$~,.... ....,~$###
##¶#§$†~,. BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, .,~†$§#¶##
##¶#§$†~,. SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL .,~†$§#¶##
##¶#§$†~,. COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY .,~†$§#¶##
##¶#§$†~,. REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS .,~†$§#¶##
¶#§††,.... 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. .,~†$$$#¶#
#§††,..... .....,††§#
#§§§$~.... ....~$§§§#
##¶#§$†~,. .,~†$§#¶##
###¶#§†~,. .,~†§#¶###
¶¶¶#§$†~,. .,~†$§#¶¶¶