.....==%%¤ ¤%%==.....
....=%%@@@ @@@%%=....
.....\\@@@ @@@\\.....
..=\%@@¤@@ @@¤@@%\=..
..=\%@¤@@# #@@¤@%\=..
..=\%@¤@@# 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. ¤@@@%\==..
..=\%@¤@## ##@¤@%\=..
..=\%@¤@@# #@@¤@%\=..
....==\@¤@ @¤@\==....
.....=\%@@ @@%\=.....
..=\%@¤@@# #@@¤@%\=..