#¤*=-..... .....-=*¤#
####¤¤*:-. .-:*¤¤####
¤**:==-... ...-==:**¤
#¤¤¤*:==-. .-==:*¤¤¤#
##¤::----. .----::¤##
##¤¤¤*:=-. 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. ..----=:*¤
###¤¤*:=-. .-=:*¤¤###
###¤¤*:=-. .-=:*¤¤###
###¤¤*:=-. .-=:*¤¤###
#¤*::::=-. .-=::::*¤#
####¤¤:=-. .-=:¤¤####