,.=†^&#### ####&^†=.,
,.=†^&#### ####&^†=.,
,,,,,==^## ##^==,,,,,
,.=†^&#### ####&^†=.,
,.=†^&#### ####&^†=.,
,.=†^&#### 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. ##^^^^†=.,
,,,.=†^&&# #&&^†=.,,,
,.=†^&#### ####&^†=.,
,.=†^&#### ####&^†=.,
,.=†^^^^&# #&^^^^†=.,
,.=†^&#### ####&^†=.,