.:=;†%#@## ##@#%†;=:.
..:=;†%#@# #@#%†;=:..
...:=;†%#@ @#%†;=:...
..:=;†%#@# #@#%†;=:..
.:=;†%#@## ##@#%†;=:.
..:=;†%#@# 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. #@#%†;=:..
...:=;†%#@ @#%†;=:...
..:=;†%#@# #@#%†;=:..
.:=;†%#@## ##@#%†;=:.
..:=;†%#@# #@#%†;=:..
...:=;†%#@ @#%†;=:...