#§%†††»~.. ..~»†††%§#
#§%†~..... .....~†%§#
§§@%†~.... ....~†%@§§
###§@%†»~. .~»†%@§###
###§@%†»~. .~»†%@§###
#§§@@%†»~. 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. ..~»»»%§##
####@%†»~. .~»†%@####
##@†»»~... ...~»»†@##
####@%†»~. .~»†%@####
###§@%†»~. .~»†%@§###
###§@%†»~. .~»†%@§###