†*~^,,,,,, ,,,,,,^~*†
*~^,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,^~*
†*~^,,,,,, ,,,,,,^~*†
#†*~^,,,,, ,,,,,^~*†#
##†*~^,,,, ,,,,^~*†##
@##†*~^,,, 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. ,,,,,,,^~*
†*~^,,,,,, ,,,,,,^~*†
#†*~^,,,,, ,,,,,^~*†#
##†*~^,,,, ,,,,^~*†##
@##†*~^,,, ,,,^~*†##@
#@##†*~^,, ,,^~*†##@#