¨:=\*$@### ###@$*\=:¨
¨¨:=\*$@## ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨¨¨:=\*$@# #@$*\=:¨¨¨
¨¨:=\*$@## ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨:=\*$@### ###@$*\=:¨
¨¨:=\*$@## GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨¨¨:=\*$@# GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. #@$*\=:¨¨¨
¨¨:=\*$@## ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨:=\*$@### BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ###@$*\=:¨
¨¨:=\*$@## SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨¨¨:=\*$@# COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY #@$*\=:¨¨¨
¨¨:=\*$@## REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨:=\*$@### HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT ###@$*\=:¨
¨¨:=\*$@## AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨¨¨:=\*$@# FROM BELOW. #@$*\=:¨¨¨
¨¨:=\*$@## ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨:=\*$@### LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN ###@$*\=:¨
¨¨:=\*$@## THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨¨¨:=\*$@# DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH #@$*\=:¨¨¨
¨¨:=\*$@## ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨:=\*$@### REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING ###@$*\=:¨
¨¨:=\*$@## BECAME A SLUDGE. ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨¨¨:=\*$@# #@$*\=:¨¨¨
¨¨:=\*$@## AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨:=\*$@### SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. ###@$*\=:¨
¨¨:=\*$@## ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨¨¨:=\*$@# ######################################## #@$*\=:¨¨¨
¨¨:=\*$@## # # ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨:=\*$@### # ######@#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#@###### # ###@$*\=:¨
¨¨:=\*$@## # # # # ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨¨¨:=\*$@# # # ###@*@********************@*@### # # #@$*\=:¨¨¨
¨¨:=\*$@## # # # # # # ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨:=\*$@### # # # THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, # # # ###@$*\=:¨
¨¨:=\*$@## $ # # 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. ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨¨¨:=\*$@# #@$*\=:¨¨¨
¨¨:=\*$@## ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨:=\*$@### ###@$*\=:¨
¨¨:=\*$@## ##@$*\=:¨¨
¨¨¨:=\*$@# #@$*\=:¨¨¨