##@¤*^=»-, ,-»=^*¤@##
#¤*^»,,,,, ,,,,,»^*¤#
##@¤*^=»-, ,-»=^*¤@##
@@*=»--,,, ,,,--»=*@@
@***^==»-, ,-»==^***@
##@¤*^=»-, 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. ,,,,,,-=*¤
##@¤*^=»-, ,-»=^*¤@##
¤^»»»-,,,, ,,,,-»»»^¤
@@*=»,,,,, ,,,,,»=*@@
¤*=-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-=*¤
##@¤*^=»-, ,-»=^*¤@##