@@@*\«.... ....«\*@@@
@$**««.... ....««**$@
#@@@$*\«^. .^«\*$@@@#
#@@@$*\«^. .^«\*$@@@#
##@@$*\«^. .^«\*$@@##
@$\^...... GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ......^\$@
@@@@$*\«^. 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. .^«\*$@@@#
##@@@$*«^. .^«*$@@@##
#@@@$*\«^. .^«\*$@@@#
##@@$*\«^. .^«\*$@@##
##@@$*\«^. .^«\*$@@##
@@$\\^.... ....^\\$@@