......^~$# #$~^......
.^~:$£#£## ##£#£$:~^.
.^~:$£££#£ £#£££$:~^.
...^::::£# #£::::^...
.^~:$£#£## ##£#£$:~^.
.^~:$£#£## GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ##£#£$:~^.
.^~:$£#£## GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ##£#£$:~^.
.^~:$$$### ###$$$:~^.
...~~$$£## BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ##£$$~~...
.^~$£#£### SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ###£#£$~^.
.^~:$£#£## COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ##£#£$:~^.
.^~:$£#£## REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ##£#£$:~^.
.^~:$£#£## HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT ##£#£$:~^.
.^~:$£#£££ AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS £££#£$:~^.
.^~:$£#£## FROM BELOW. ##£#£$:~^.
......~$#£ £#$~......
.^~:$£#£££ LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN £££#£$:~^.
.^~:$££### THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING ###££$:~^.
...^~$$$## DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH ##$$$~^...
.^~:$$$#£# ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS #£#$$$:~^.
.^~:$£#£## REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING ##£#£$:~^.
.^~:$£#£## BECAME A SLUDGE. ##£#£$:~^.
.....^:$£# #£$:^.....
...^~~$$#£ AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE £#$$~~^...
.^~:$$$$## SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. ##$$$$:~^.
......~$£# #£$~......
.....^:£££ ######################################## £££:^.....
..^^^^:$## # # ##$:^^^^..
.^~:$££### # #################################### # ###££$:~^.
...^~$££## # # # # ##££$~^...
.^~:$£#£## # # #££#$#$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$#$#££# # # ##£#£$:~^.
..^^^::££# £ # # # # £ #££::^^^..
.^~:$£##£# £ # # THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, # # £ #£##£$:~^.
...~:::£## £ # £ PREPARED FOR LAUNCH, £ # £ ##£:::~...
....^:$#£# $ £ £ IGNITION SEQUENCE STARTED £ £ $ #£#$:^....
....~~:$££ : # £ HOURS AGO. ELVES IN THE £ # : ££$:~~....
.....~$##£ : $ # PASSENGER CABIN, NOT YET # $ : £##$~.....
.^~:$£#£## ~ : # SEATED. BUT SOMETHING IS # : ~ ##£#£$:~^.
.^~:$£#£## ~ ~ £ WRONG. THERE IS SOMETHING £ ~ ~ ##£#£$:~^.
.^~:$£#£## ^ ^ $ GREEN AROUND THEIR MOUTHS. $ ^ ^ ##£#£$:~^.
....^:£#££ ^ ^ : THE SLUDGE HAS BEEN SAMPLED, : ^ ^ ££#£:^....
....^~~:£# ^ ^ ~ ENTERTAINED, AND THEN ~ ^ ^ #£:~~^....
.^~:$£#£## ^ ^ ^ FINALLY BINGED ON. ^ ^ ^ ##£#£$:~^.
.^~::::££# . . . . . . #££::::~^.
...~~:$£££ . . . THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, . . . £££$:~~...
.^~:$£#£## AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES ##£#£$:~^.
....~~$£#£ AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE £#£$~~....
.^~:$£#£## STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ##£#£$:~^.
..^~::$£## ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ##£$::~^..
.^~:$£##£# LIKE CORPSES. #£##£$:~^.
.....^:$## ##$:^.....
...^~$$$$# #$$$$~^...
....^::£££ £££::^....
^~:$£#£### ###£#£$:~^
.^~:$£#£## ##£#£$:~^.