@#&¤*/:,,, ,,,:/*¤&#@
##&¤¤*/»:, ,:»/*¤¤&##
#@#&¤*/»:, ,:»/*¤&#@#
#&¤/»»,,,, ,,,,»»/¤&#
&¤/:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:/¤&
@&*///:,,, 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. ,:»/*¤&#@#
@#&¤*»,,,, ,,,,»*¤&#@
&¤¤**»»:,, ,,:»»**¤¤&
@@#&¤*/»:, ,:»/*¤&#@@
#@#&¤*/»:, ,:»/*¤&#@#
###&¤*/»:, ,:»/*¤&###