;--....... .......--;
†;--...... ......--;†
$†;--..... .....--;†$
#$†;--.... ....--;†$#
@#$†;--... ...--;†$#@
@@#$†;--.. GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ..--;†$#@@
#@@#$†;--. GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. .--;†$#@@#
@@#$†;--.. ..--;†$#@@
@#$†;--... BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ...--;†$#@
#$†;--.... SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ....--;†$#
$†;--..... COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY .....--;†$
†;--...... 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. ......--;†
$†;--..... .....--;†$
#$†;--.... ....--;†$#
@#$†;--... ...--;†$#@
@@#$†;--.. ..--;†$#@@
#@@#$†;--. .--;†$#@@#