.-«^*%#@## ##@#%*^«-.
.-«^*%#@## ##@#%*^«-.
.-«^*%#@@# #@@#%*^«-.
.-«^*%#@## ##@#%*^«-.
.-«^*%#@## ##@#%*^«-.
.-«^*%#@@@ 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. @##*«--...
.-«^*%@### ###@%*^«-.
.-«^*%#@## ##@#%*^«-.
......-^%# #%^-......
.-«^*%#@## ##@#%*^«-.
.-«^*%#@## ##@#%*^«-.