##%††††«,, ,,«††††%##
##¶#*%†«,, ,,«†%*#¶##
##¶#*%†«,, ,,«†%*#¶##
#%%«,,,,,, ,,,,,,«%%#
###¶#%†«,, ,,«†%#¶###
###%††«,,, 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. ,,«†%*#¶##
##¶#*%†«,, ,,«†%*#¶##
##%%†,,,,, ,,,,,†%%##
#¶**†,,,,, ,,,,,†**¶#
#*†,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,†*#
##¶#*%†«,, ,,«†%*#¶##