##¶¤$^=~,, ,,~=^$¤¶##
¶$==,,,,,, ,,,,,,==$¶
¤^=~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~=^¤
¶$=,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,=$¶
¶¶¤$==~,,, ,,,~==$¤¶¶
##¶¤$^=~,, GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,,~=^$¤¶##
¤^~,,,,,,, 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 ,,,,,~^¤¶#
##¶¤$^=~,, AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ,,~=^$¤¶##
#¶$^^~,,,, STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ,,,,~^^$¶#
¶$^~,,,,,, ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ,,,,,,~^$¶
##¶¤$^=~,, LIKE CORPSES. ,,~=^$¤¶##
¶¤$=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=$¤¶
##¶¤$^=~,, ,,~=^$¤¶##
#¤$=~~,,,, ,,,,~~=$¤#
¶¶¤^~~~,,, ,,,~~~^¤¶¶
##¶¤$^=~,, ,,~=^$¤¶##