###¤\^^,,, ,,,^^\¤###
#***\»»,,, ,,,»»\***#
##**»»»»^, ,^»»»»**##
##@#¤*\»^, ,^»\*¤#@##
##@#¤*\»^, ,^»\*¤#@##
@#¤**\»^^, 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. ,^»\*¤#@@@
##@#¤*\»^, ,^»\*¤#@##
@#¤\»»»»^, ,^»»»»\¤#@
@#¤*»»^^,, ,,^^»»*¤#@
##****\»^, ,^»\****##
##@#¤*\»^, ,^»\*¤#@##