.:-^$&££##                                          ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££#                                          #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££##                                          ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££#                                          #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££##                                          ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££# GRAY  SKIES, SWIRLING  WITH SOOT.  STONY #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££## GROUND  WITH  NO  HINTS  OF  VEGETATION. ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££#                                          #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££## BELOW   THE  SURFACE  ARE   THE   MINES, ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££# SPIRALING  DOWN INTO  THE  CRUST.  SMALL #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££## COMPARED  TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££# REACH AND JOIN WITH.  THE TEMPERATURE IS #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££## HIGHER DOWN HERE,  AND THE  VIEW  IS NOT ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££# AS  MONOCHROME:  A GREEN  LIGHT  BECKONS #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££##                FROM BELOW.               ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££#                                          #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££## LONG  AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££# THE  CENTER OF  THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££## DORMANT,  WAITING FOR  A COLLISION  WITH ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££# ANOTHER   BODY.   BUT   NO  PLANET   WAS #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££## REACHED, AND  OVER  TIME,  THE  SEEDLING ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££#             BECAME A SLUDGE.             #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££##                                          ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££# AND  ELVES  CAME  AS  MINERS,  AND   THE #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££##            SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED.           ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££#                                          #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££## ######################################## ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££# #                                      # #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££## # ######£#££££££££££££££££££££#£###### # ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££# # #                                  # # #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££## # # #£££$£$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$£$£££# # # ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££# £ # #                              # # £ #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££## £ # #   THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED,  # # £ ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££# & # £      PREPARED FOR LAUNCH,    £ # & #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££## $ £ £   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.               #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££##                                          ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££#                                          #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££##                                          ##££&$^-:.
..:-^$&££#                                          #££&$^-:..
.:-^$&££##                                          ##££&$^-:.