@*/=...... ......=/*@
£@*/=..... .....=/*@£
@£@*/=.... ....=/*@£@
#@£@*/=... ...=/*@£@#
##@£@*/=.. ..=/*@£@##
#@£@*/=... 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. .....=/*@£
@£@*/=.... ....=/*@£@
#@£@*/=... ...=/*@£@#
##@£@*/=.. ..=/*@£@##
#@£@*/=... ...=/*@£@#
@£@*/=.... ....=/*@£@