##&/~~.... ....~~/&##
###*»~.... ....~»*###
@@#&*».... ....»*&#@@
@###&*/»~. .~»/*&###@
@@@#&*/»~. .~»/*&#@@@
#@@#&*/»~. 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. .~»/*&#@@#
@##**/~... ...~/**##@
@#&**».... ....»**&#@
@#&/~~.... ....~~/&#@
@&***»~... ...~»***&@
##@@#*/»~. .~»/*#@@##