..«*%%@@@# #@@@%%*«..
..«*%%@@@# #@@@%%*«..
..«*%%@@@# #@@@%%*«..
......*%%@ @%%*......
.....*%%@@ @@%%*.....
..«*%%@@@# 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. @%%*......
..«*%%@@@# #@@@%%*«..
....«**%%@ @%%**«....
..«*%%@@## ##@@%%*«..
..«*%%@@@@ @@@@%%*«..
.......*%@ @%*.......