##†****»., ,.»****†##
####$†*»., ,.»*†$####
####$†*»., ,.»*†$####
####$†*»., ,.»*†$####
##$*.,,,,, ,,,,,.*$##
#†*.,,,,,, 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, , , , ,.»*†$####
##$$†»,,,, AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES ,,,,»†$$##
##$†*»,,,, AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ,,,,»*†$##
#$$$*».,,, STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ,,,.»*$$$#
####$†*»., ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ,.»*†$####
#$**»,,,,, LIKE CORPSES. ,,,,,»**$#
####$†*»., ,.»*†$####
####$†*»., ,.»*†$####
####$†*»., ,.»*†$####
####$†*»., ,.»*†$####
#$†*..,,,, ,,,,..*†$#