@@##*%^~~, ,~~^%*##@@
@****%^~~, ,~~^%****@
##@#*%^~~, ,~~^%*#@##
##%^~~~~,, ,,~~~~^%##
##@#*%^~~, ,~~^%*#@##
#%%^~~,,,, 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. ,~~^%*#@##
##@#*%^~~, ,~~^%*#@##
#@##*%^~~, ,~~^%*##@#
#@##*%^~~, ,~~^%*##@#
##%^^^~,,, ,,,~^^^%##
##@#*%^~~, ,~~^%*#@##