#@$===-... ...-===$@#
##@@$*=~-. .-~=*$@@##
##@@$*=~-. .-~=*$@@##
##@@$*=~-. .-~=*$@@##
###@$*=~-. .-~=*$@###
##@@$*=~-. GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY .-~=*$@@##
@@@@$*=~-. GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. .-~=*$@@@@
##@@$*=~-. .-~=*$@@##
@$$$=-.... BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ....-=$$$@
@$*==-.... SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ....-==*$@
##@@$*=~-. COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY .-~=*$@@##
##@@$*=~-. REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS .-~=*$@@##
@*=~...... 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, ...--==**@
###@@$*~-. LIKE CORPSES. .-~*$@@###
##@@$*=~-. .-~=*$@@##
@@$$=~-... ...-~=$$@@
@@@@$*=~-. .-~=*$@@@@
@@@*=--... ...--=*@@@
#@$**=~... ...~=**$@#