##@@%†:«,, ,,«:†%@@##
##@@%†:«,, ,,«:†%@@##
@%††:«,,,, ,,,,«:††%@
##@@%†:«,, ,,«:†%@@##
@†«,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,«†@
@@@@%†:«,, 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. ,,,,,,:%@#
@%†::,,,,, ,,,,,::†%@
@%:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:%@
##@@%†:«,, ,,«:†%@@##
@†«,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,«†@
@@%:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:%@@