@**~~~.... ....~~~**@
##@@**†~-. .-~†**@@##
##@£@*†~-. .-~†*@£@##
£@@@**†~-. .-~†**@@@£
#@£@**†~-. .-~†**@£@#
@@£@**†~-. 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. .-~†**@££@
£*†~...... ......~†*£
#@£@**†~-. .-~†**@£@#
#@£@**†~-. .-~†**@£@#
#@£@**†~-. .-~†**@£@#
@***~~.... ....~~***@