##@&$*/«^, ,^«/*$&@##
#&&*««^,,, ,,,^««*&&#
##@&$*/«^, ,^«/*$&@##
###@&$*«^, ,^«*$&@###
###&$*/«^, ,^«/*$&###
@&*//^,,,, 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. ,,,««/*$&&
##@&$*/«^, ,^«/*$&@##
##@&$*/«^, ,^«/*$&@##
@&$$*«^,,, ,,,^«*$$&@
&*««^^,,,, ,,,,^^««*&
##@&$*/«^, ,^«/*$&@##