@§§†-..... .....-†§§@
###^†«««-. .-«««†^###
###@#^†«-. .-«†^#@###
##@#§^†«-. .-«†^§#@##
#§§^««-... ...-««^§§#
###@§^†«-. 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. .-«†^§#@##
##@#§^†«-. .-«†^§#@##
@§†-...... ......-†§@
@@#§^†«... ...«†^§#@@
#@§†-..... .....-†§@#
##@#§^†«-. .-«†^§#@##