####¤%/~,. .,~/%¤####
####¤%/~,. .,~/%¤####
####¤%/~,. .,~/%¤####
##¤%///~,. .,~///%¤##
###¤/~.... ....~/¤###
#####%/~,. 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. .,~/%¤¤###
####¤%/~,. .,~/%¤####
###%//,... ...,//%###
####¤%/~,. .,~/%¤####
#¤/,,,.... ....,,,/¤#
####¤%/~,. .,~/%¤####