###@@†*-~, ,~-*†@@###
#@*~~~,,,, ,,,,~~~*@#
###@@†*-~, ,~-*†@@###
@@@@††*-~, ,~-*††@@@@
#@@@†-~,,, ,,,~-†@@@#
####@†*-~, 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. ,~-*†@@###
#@@@@†*-~, ,~-*†@@@@#
###@@†*-~, ,~-*†@@###
###@@†*-~, ,~-*†@@###
###@@†*-~, ,~-*†@@###
@@†††-~~,, ,,~~-†††@@