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