##@@$*\«:, ,:«\*$@@##
#@$**\«,,, ,,,«\**$@#
##@@$*\«:, ,:«\*$@@##
##@@$*\«:, ,:«\*$@@##
@$\\«««,,, ,,,«««\\$@
@@@@$*\«:, GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,:«\*$@@@@
##@@$*\«:, GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ,:«\*$@@##
##@@$*\«:, ,:«\*$@@##
@@@$\:,,,, BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ,,,,:\$@@@
@@@**\:,,, SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ,,,:\**@@@
@$\\«,,,,, 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. : : : ,:«\*$@@@#
###@@$\«:, , , , , , , ,:«\$@@###
##@@$*\«:, , , , THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, , , , ,:«\*$@@##
@@@$$*\«:, AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES ,:«\*$$@@@
@@$**««,,, AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ,,,««**$@@
##@@$*\«:, STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ,:«\*$@@##
@@$\\:,,,, ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ,,,,:\\$@@
@@$$\:,,,, LIKE CORPSES. ,,,,:\$$@@
##@@$*\«:, ,:«\*$@@##
##@@$*\«:, ,:«\*$@@##
@$$*\«««:, ,:«««\*$$@
###@$*\«:, ,:«\*$@###
##@@$*\«:, ,:«\*$@@##