,^~\*&£### ###£&*\~^,
,,,,~\&&£# #£&&\~,,,,
,^~\*&£### ###£&*\~^,
,^~\*&£### ###£&*\~^,
,^~\*&£### ###£&*\~^,
,^~\\**£## 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. ###£&*\~^,
,^~\*&£### ###£&*\~^,
,^~\*&££££ ££££&*\~^,
,^~\*&£### ###£&*\~^,
,^~~~~\*&£ £&*\~~~~^,
,,,^\**£## ##£**\^,,,