¤¤¤¤:~~~-. .-~~~:¤¤¤¤
####¤%:~-. .-~:%¤####
¤¤%::~-... ...-~::%¤¤
###¤¤%:~-. .-~:%¤¤###
#¤:--..... .....--:¤#
###¤¤%:~-. 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. .-~:%¤¤###
###¤¤%:~-. .-~:%¤¤###
###¤¤%:~-. .-~:%¤¤###
###¤¤%:~-. .-~:%¤¤###
###¤¤%:~-. .-~:%¤¤###
###¤¤%:~-. .-~:%¤¤###