¤§†^...... ......^†§¤
@¤**»^.... ....^»**¤@
@¤*††††»^. .^»††††*¤@
¤¤§*††»^.. ..^»††*§¤¤
@@@¤§*†»^. .^»†*§¤@@@
#@@¤§*†»^. 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. .»†*§¤@@##
¤§***†»... ...»†***§¤
@@§§†^.... ....^†§§@@
@@@¤§*†»^. .^»†*§¤@@@
@¤§*†^.... ....^†*§¤@
##@@¤§†»^. .^»†§¤@@##