%†^=-..... .....-=^†%
†^=-...... ......-=^†
^=-....... .......-=^
=-........ ........-=
-......... .........-
=-........ 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. ......-=^†
^=-....... .......-=^
=-........ ........-=
-......... .........-
=-........ ........-=
^=-....... .......-=^