##@@¤%:«~. .~«:%¤@@##
#@@¤%*:«~. .~«:*%¤@@#
¤%:~...... ......~:%¤
@¤*:~..... .....~:*¤@
@%*«««.... ....«««*%@
¤%:~...... 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. .~«::::*¤@
@¤%*:~.... ....~:*%¤@
#@@¤%*:«~. .~«:*%¤@@#
#@@¤%*:«~. .~«:*%¤@@#
@¤****:«~. .~«:****¤@
¤%:«~..... .....~«:%¤