@@¤^^..... .....^^¤@@
###@¤=^»^. .^»^=¤@###
#@@@¤=^»^. .^»^=¤@@@#
@@@@¤=^»^. .^»^=¤@@@@
###@¤=^»^. .^»^=¤@###
###@¤=^»^. 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. .^»^=¤####
#¤¤^^..... .....^^¤¤#
###@¤=^»^. .^»^=¤@###
####@¤^»^. .^»^¤@####
@¤¤¤^^^... ...^^^¤¤¤@
#@¤===^»^. .^»^===¤@#