#@&^^**~-, ,-~**^^&@#
@@@&@^*~-, ,-~*^@&@@@
##@&@^*~-, ,-~*^@&@##
##@&@^*~-, ,-~*^@&@##
##@&@^*~-, ,-~*^@&@##
&^~~~~~-,, 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. ,-~*^@&@##
&^*-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-*^&
##@&@^*~-, ,-~*^@&@##
@@@&@^*~-, ,-~*^@&@@@
##@&@^*~-, ,-~*^@&@##
@@@@^^*~-, ,-~*^^@@@@