#@*\\=.... ....=\\*@#
####@*\=,. .,=\*@####
#@*=,..... .....,=*@#
#§\,...... ......,\§#
#§§§**\=,. .,=\**§§§#
###@§*\=,. 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. .,=\*§@###
####@*\=,. .,=\*@####
###@§*\=,. .,=\*§@###
###@§*\=,. .,=\*§@###
#@§*==,,.. ..,,==*§@#
###@§*\=,. .,=\*§@###