~»†%#### #####&%†»~
.~»†%### ####&%†»~.
.~»»†%## ###&%†»»~.
...~»††% #&%††»~...
.~»†%### ####&%†»~.
.~»†%### 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. ####&%†»~.
...~†††%%# #%%†††~...
...~~†## ###&†~~...
.~»†%### ####&%†»~.
.~»†%### ####&%†»~.
.....»%### ###%».....