@*»....... .......»*@
@@**†††»:. .:»†††**@@
##@@@*†»:. .:»†*@@@##
@@@*»..... .....»*@@@
@@@@@*†»:. .:»†*@@@@@
@**»»:::.. 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. .:»†*@@@@#
#@@@@*†»:. .:»†*@@@@#
@@@†»:.... ....:»†@@@
#@@@@*†»:. .:»†*@@@@#
@@@@†:.... ....:†@@@@
@@@*††»»:. .:»»††*@@@