=^........ ........^=
†=^....... .......^=†
§†=^...... ......^=†§
%§†=^..... .....^=†§%
@%§†=^.... ....^=†§%@
#@%§†=^... 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. .......^=†
§†=^...... ......^=†§
%§†=^..... .....^=†§%
@%§†=^.... ....^=†§%@
#@%§†=^... ...^=†§%@#
##@%§†=^.. ..^=†§%@##