##@#**:=~, ,~=:**#@##
##@#**:=~, ,~=:**#@##
##@#**:=~, ,~=:**#@##
##@#**:=~, ,~=:**#@##
##@#**:=~, ,~=:**#@##
##@#**:=~, 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. ,~=:**#@##
##@#**:=~, ,~=:**#@##
##@#**:=~, ,~=:**#@##
@*:~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~:*@
##*:=~~,,, ,,,~~=:*##
##@#**:=~, ,~=:**#@##