&¤^/~-,,,, ,,,,-~/^¤&
@&¤^/~-,,, ,,,-~/^¤&@
#@&¤^/~-,, ,,-~/^¤&@#
##@&¤^/~-, ,-~/^¤&@##
###@&¤^/~- -~/^¤&@###
##@&¤^/~-, 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. ,,,,,,,,,-
~-,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,-~
/~-,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,-~/
^/~-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-~/^
¤^/~-,,,,, ,,,,,-~/^¤
&¤^/~-,,,, ,,,,-~/^¤&