.....~†§@@ @@§†~.....
.~»†*§#@## ##@#§*†»~.
..~~~~†§## ##§†~~~~..
...~»†*#@# #@#*†»~...
.~»†*§#@## ##@#§*†»~.
.....~»**# 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. ##@#§*†»~.
.~~~††§##@ @##§††~~~.
....~†§§## ##§§†~....
.~»†*§#@## ##@#§*†»~.
.~»†*§#@## ##@#§*†»~.
.~~»»††§§@ @§§††»»~~.