@¤&&&=;-^. .^-;=&&&¤@
@&==;-^^.. ..^^-;==&@
@&=;;-.... ....-;;=&@
@&;----... ...----;&@
#@@¤&=;-^. .^-;=&¤@@#
#@@¤&=;-^. 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. .^-;=&¤@@#
#@@¤&=;-^. .^-;=&¤@@#
@&;;^..... .....^;;&@
@@¤=;;^^.. ..^^;;=¤@@
#@@¤&=;-^. .^-;=&¤@@#
¤==--..... .....--==¤