@@%=«^,,,, ,,,,^«=%@@
@@@%=«^,,, ,,,^«=%@@@
#@@@%=«^,, ,,^«=%@@@#
##@@@%=«^, ,^«=%@@@##
#@@@%=«^,, ,,^«=%@@@#
@@@%=«^,,, 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. ,,,^«=%@@@
#@@@%=«^,, ,,^«=%@@@#
##@@@%=«^, ,^«=%@@@##
#@@@%=«^,, ,,^«=%@@@#
@@@%=«^,,, ,,,^«=%@@@
@@%=«^,,,, ,,,,^«=%@@