,,.~*%&&£#                                          #£&&%*~.,,
,,,.~*%&&£                                          £&&%*~.,,,
,,,,.~*%&&                                          &&%*~.,,,,
,,,.~*%&&£                                          £&&%*~.,,,
,,.~*%&&£#                                          #£&&%*~.,,
,.~*%&&£## 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.               £&&%*~.,,,
,,,,.~*%&&                                          &&%*~.,,,,
,,,.~*%&&£                                          £&&%*~.,,,
,,.~*%&&£#                                          #£&&%*~.,,
,.~*%&&£##                                          ##£&&%*~.,
.~*%&&£###                                          ###£&&%*~.