####@%*-~, ,~-*%@####
###@%*-~,, ,,~-*%@###
##@%*-~,,, ,,,~-*%@##
#@%*-~,,,, ,,,,~-*%@#
@%*-~,,,,, ,,,,,~-*%@
%*-~,,,,,, 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. ,,~-*%@###
####@%*-~, ,~-*%@####
###@%*-~,, ,,~-*%@###
##@%*-~,,, ,,,~-*%@##
#@%*-~,,,, ,,,,~-*%@#
@%*-~,,,,, ,,,,,~-*%@