##@#@$*-^. .^-*$@#@##
#@#@$$*-^. .^-*$$@#@#
@$$*^^.... ....^^*$$@
@@$$*^.... ....^*$$@@
@$$*-..... .....-*$$@
@@$$$*^... GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ...^*$$$@@
#@$$$-.... GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ....-$$$@#
#@#@$$*-^. .^-*$$@#@#
##$$$$*-^. BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, .^-*$$$$##
@@$**-.... SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ....-**$@@
@$$***^... 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. .^-*$$@#@#
##@$$**-^. .^-**$$@##
@@$*^..... .....^*$@@
#@#@$$*-^. .^-*$$@#@#
#@#@$$*-^. .^-*$$@#@#
@@$**^.... ....^**$@@