##§¤%†-^.. ..^-†%¤§##
#§¤%†-^... ...^-†%¤§#
§¤%†-^.... ....^-†%¤§
¤%†-^..... .....^-†%¤
%†-^...... ......^-†%
†-^....... 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. ..........
.......... ..........
^......... .........^
-^........ ........^-
†-^....... .......^-†
%†-^...... ......^-†%