.~«\^$@### ###@$^\«~.
.~«\^$@@## ##@@$^\«~.
.~«\^$@@## ##@@$^\«~.
~«\^$@@### ###@@$^\«~
.~«\^$$@@@ @@@$$^\«~.
.~«\^$@@## GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ##@@$^\«~.
......«^@# 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, \ ~ ~ @$$$^««~~.
....~~\$@# ~ ~ « ENTERTAINED, AND THEN « ~ ~ #@$\~~....
.~«\^$@@## ~ ~ ~ FINALLY BINGED ON. ~ ~ ~ ##@@$^\«~.
.~«\^$$$$@ . . . . . . @$$$$^\«~.
.~«\^$@@## . . . THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, . . . ##@@$^\«~.
..~~««^$@# AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES #@$^««~~..
.~«\^$@@## AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ##@@$^\«~.
.~«\^$@@## STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ##@@$^\«~.
.~«\^$@@## ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ##@@$^\«~.
.~«\^$@@## LIKE CORPSES. ##@@$^\«~.
.~«\^$@@## ##@@$^\«~.
.....«^$@@ @@$^«.....
.~«\^$@@@# #@@@$^\«~.
...~~\$$$@ @$$$\~~...
.~«\^$@@## ##@@$^\«~.