###@*^^~., ,.~^^*@###
##@*^^~.,, ,,.~^^*@##
#@*^^~.,,, ,,,.~^^*@#
@*^^~.,,,, ,,,,.~^^*@
*^^~.,,,,, ,,,,,.~^^*
@*^^~.,,,, 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. ,,.~^^*@##
#@*^^~.,,, ,,,.~^^*@#
@*^^~.,,,, ,,,,.~^^*@
*^^~.,,,,, ,,,,,.~^^*
@*^^~.,,,, ,,,,.~^^*@
#@*^^~.,,, ,,,.~^^*@#