,.»\$¤@@## ##@@¤$\».,
,,,,,,»»$@ @$»»,,,,,,
,,,,..\¤@@ @@¤\..,,,,
,.»\$¤@@## ##@@¤$\».,
,,,,..\$$@ @$$\..,,,,
,.»\$¤@@## GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ##@@¤$\».,
,,,,,..\¤@ GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. @¤\..,,,,,
,.»\$¤@@## ##@@¤$\».,
,,,,.»\$¤@ BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, @¤$\».,,,,
,.»\$¤@@## SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ##@@¤$\».,
,.»\$¤@@## COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ##@@¤$\».,
,.»\$¤@@## REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ##@@¤$\».,
,.»\$$¤¤@@ HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT @@¤¤$$\».,
,.»\$¤@### 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. ##@@¤$\».,
,.»\$¤@@## ##@@¤$\».,
,.»\$$$$¤@ @¤$$$$\».,
,.»\$¤@@## ##@@¤$\».,
,.»\$¤@@@@ @@@@¤$\».,
,,,,,»$$¤@ @¤$$»,,,,,