.~~*^§@£@# #@£@§^*~~.
.....~*§§£ £§§*~.....
.~~*^§@£@# #@£@§^*~~.
.~~*^§@@@@ @@@@§^*~~.
.~~*^§@£@# #@£@§^*~~.
.....~~~^@ 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. #@£@§^*~~.
.....~*§££ ££§*~.....
.~~*^§@£@# #@£@§^*~~.
.~~*^§§§@£ £@§§§^*~~.
.~*^§@£@## ##@£@§^*~.
.~~*^§@£@@ @@£@§^*~~.