,,,,,,:*$@ @$*:,,,,,,
,,,,,=**$@ @$**=,,,,,
,:=*$$$@@@ @@@$$$*=:,
,,,,,:*$@@ @@$*:,,,,,
,,,,::*$@@ @@$*::,,,,
,,,::=*$@@ GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY @@$*=::,,,
,,,::*$$@# GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. #@$$*::,,,
,:=*$$@@## ##@@$$*=:,
,,,,,,:*$@ BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, @$*:,,,,,,
,:=*$$@@## SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ##@@$$*=:,
,,,,,:*$$@ COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY @$$*:,,,,,
,:=*$$@@## REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ##@@$$*=:,
,:=*$$@### HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT ###@$$*=:,
,:=$$@@### AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS ###@@$$=:,
,:=*$$$$$@ FROM BELOW. @$$$$$*=:,
,:=*$$@@## ##@@$$*=:,
,:=*$$@@## 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, @$$*=,,,,,
,:=*$$$$@@ LIKE CORPSES. @@$$$$*=:,
,,,,:**$@# #@$**:,,,,
,:=*$$@@## ##@@$$*=:,
,:=**$$$@# #@$$$**=:,
,:=*$@@### ###@@$*=:,
,:=*$$@@## ##@@$$*=:,