###§%$*~^, ,^~*$%§###
##§%$*~^,, ,,^~*$%§##
#§%$*~^,,, ,,,^~*$%§#
##§%$*~^,, ,,^~*$%§##
###§%$*~^, ,^~*$%§###
##§%$*~^,, GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,,^~*$%§##
#§%$*~^,,, GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ,,,^~*$%§#
##§%$*~^,, ,,^~*$%§##
###§%$*~^, BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ,^~*$%§###
##§%$*~^,, SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ,,^~*$%§##
#§%$*~^,,, COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ,,,^~*$%§#
##§%$*~^,, REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ,,^~*$%§##
###§%$*~^, HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT ,^~*$%§###
##§%$*~^,, AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS ,,^~*$%§##
#§%$*~^,,, FROM BELOW. ,,,^~*$%§#
##§%$*~^,, ,,^~*$%§##
###§%$*~^, LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN ,^~*$%§###
##§%$*~^,, THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING ,,^~*$%§##
#§%$*~^,,, DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH ,,,^~*$%§#
##§%$*~^,, ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS ,,^~*$%§##
###§%$*~^, REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING ,^~*$%§###
##§%$*~^,, BECAME A SLUDGE. ,,^~*$%§##
#§%$*~^,,, ,,,^~*$%§#
##§%$*~^,, AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE ,,^~*$%§##
###§%$*~^, SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. ,^~*$%§###
##§%$*~^,, ,,^~*$%§##
#§%$*~^,,, ######################################## ,,,^~*$%§#
##§%$*~^,, # # ,,^~*$%§##
###§%$*~^, # ######§#§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§#§###### # ,^~*$%§###
##§%$*~^,, # # # # ,,^~*$%§##
#§%$*~^,,, # # ###§$§$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$§$§### # # ,,,^~*$%§#
##§%$*~^,, # # # # # # ,,^~*$%§##
###§%$*~^, # # # THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, # # # ,^~*$%§###
##§%$*~^,, % # # PREPARED FOR LAUNCH, # # % ,,^~*$%§##
#§%$*~^,,, $ # # 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. ,,^~*$%§##
#§%$*~^,,, ,,,^~*$%§#
##§%$*~^,, ,,^~*$%§##
###§%$*~^, ,^~*$%§###
##§%$*~^,, ,,^~*$%§##
#§%$*~^,,, ,,,^~*$%§#