##@$†/-~.. ..~-/†$@##
#@$†/-~... ...~-/†$@#
##@$†/-~.. ..~-/†$@##
###@$†/-~. .~-/†$@###
##@$†/-~.. ..~-/†$@##
#@$†/-~... GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ...~-/†$@#
##@$†/-~.. GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ..~-/†$@##
###@$†/-~. .~-/†$@###
##@$†/-~.. BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ..~-/†$@##
#@$†/-~... SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ...~-/†$@#
##@$†/-~.. COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ..~-/†$@##
###@$†/-~. REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS .~-/†$@###
##@$†/-~.. HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT ..~-/†$@##
#@$†/-~... AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS ...~-/†$@#
##@$†/-~.. FROM BELOW. ..~-/†$@##
###@$†/-~. .~-/†$@###
##@$†/-~.. LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN ..~-/†$@##
#@$†/-~... THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING ...~-/†$@#
##@$†/-~.. DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH ..~-/†$@##
###@$†/-~. ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS .~-/†$@###
##@$†/-~.. REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING ..~-/†$@##
#@$†/-~... BECAME A SLUDGE. ...~-/†$@#
##@$†/-~.. ..~-/†$@##
###@$†/-~. AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE .~-/†$@###
##@$†/-~.. SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. ..~-/†$@##
#@$†/-~... ...~-/†$@#
##@$†/-~.. ######################################## ..~-/†$@##
###@$†/-~. # # .~-/†$@###
##@$†/-~.. # ######@#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#@###### # ..~-/†$@##
#@$†/-~... # # # # ...~-/†$@#
##@$†/-~.. # # ###@†@††††††††††††††††††††@†@### # # ..~-/†$@##
###@$†/-~. # # # # # # .~-/†$@###
##@$†/-~.. # # # THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, # # # ..~-/†$@##
#@$†/-~... $ # # 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. ...~-/†$@#
##@$†/-~.. ..~-/†$@##
###@$†/-~. .~-/†$@###
##@$†/-~.. ..~-/†$@##
#@$†/-~... ...~-/†$@#
##@$†/-~.. ..~-/†$@##