@$$%»».,,, ,,,.»»%$$@
¤$%»,,,,,, ,,,,,,»%$¤
##@¤$%†»., ,.»†%$¤@##
¤%»».,,,,, ,,,,,.»»%¤
@¤¤¤$%†»., ,.»†%$¤¤¤@
##@¤$%†»., GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,.»†%$¤@##
@¤$%%%†»., GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ,.»†%%%$¤@
###@¤$%†». .»†%$¤@###
###@$%†»., BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ,.»†%$@###
#¤%†††»»., 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, ,....†%¤@#
#@$%»»»,,, LIKE CORPSES. ,,,»»»%$@#
##@¤$%†»., ,.»†%$¤@##
##@¤$%†»., ,.»†%$¤@##
##@¤$%†»., ,.»†%$¤@##
###@¤$†»., ,.»†$¤@###
###@¤$†»., ,.»†$¤@###