.........~ ~.........
........~~ ~~........
.......~~= =~~.......
......~~=% %=~~......
.....~~=%¤ ¤%=~~.....
....~~=%¤¤ 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. #@¤¤%=~~..
...~~=%¤¤@ @¤¤%=~~...
....~~=%¤¤ ¤¤%=~~....
.....~~=%¤ ¤%=~~.....
......~~=% %=~~......
.......~~= =~~.......