.-«;=$&@@# #@@&$=;«-.
.-«;=$&@@# #@@&$=;«-.
.-«;=$&@@@ @@@&$=;«-.
.-«;=$&@@# #@@&$=;«-.
......«=&& &&=«......
.....«;==& 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. #@@&$=;«-.
.-«;=$&&&@ @&&&$=;«-.
.-«;=$&@@# #@@&$=;«-.
.-«;=$@@## ##@@$=;«-.
.-«;=$&@## ##@&$=;«-.
.-«;=$&@@@ @@@&$=;«-.