@@§%^/«^.. ..^«/^%§@@
#@@§%^/«^. .^«/^%§@@#
@@§%^/«^.. ..^«/^%§@@
@§%^/«^... ...^«/^%§@
§%^/«^.... ....^«/^%§
%^/«^..... 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. .^«/^%§@@#
@@§%^/«^.. ..^«/^%§@@
@§%^/«^... ...^«/^%§@
§%^/«^.... ....^«/^%§
%^/«^..... .....^«/^%
§%^/«^.... ....^«/^%§