,:=**&£¶@# #@¶£&**=:,
,,,,,=*&££ ££&*=,,,,,
,:=****&&¶ ¶&&****=:,
,:=**&£¶## ##¶£&**=:,
,:=**&£¶@# #@¶£&**=:,
,:=****££@ 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. #@¶£&**=:,
,:=**&£¶@# #@¶£&**=:,
,:=**&£¶@@ @@¶£&**=:,
,,,,:***££ ££***:,,,,
,:=****&££ ££&****=:,
,,,,:*&&¶¶ ¶¶&&*:,,,,