##¶#&%^~-. .-~^%&#¶##
#%%~-..... .....-~%%#
##%~...... ......~%##
¶¶&&&%^~-. .-~^%&&&¶¶
###¶#&%~-. .-~%&#¶###
####&%^~-. 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. .-~^%&#¶##
#¶¶#&%^~-. .-~^%&#¶¶#
##¶#&%^~-. .-~^%&#¶##
###¶#%^~-. .-~^%#¶###
####&%^~-. .-~^%&####
##¶#&%^~-. .-~^%&#¶##