@#***~.... ....~***#@
@%*~...... ......~*%@
@%**~,,,,. .,,,,~**%@
#@@#%*/~,. .,~/*%#@@#
##@#%*/~,. .,~/*%#@##
##@#%*/~,. 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. .,~/*%#@##
##@#%*/~,. .,~/*%#@##
##@#%*/~,. .,~/*%#@##
##@#%*/~,. .,~/*%#@##
##@#%*/~,. .,~/*%#@##
##@#%*/~,. .,~/*%#@##