##¤¤%*;-,, ,,-;*%¤¤##
@@#¤%*;-,, ,,-;*%¤#@@
¤*;,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,;*¤
@#%*;-,,,, ,,,,-;*%#@
###¤%*;-,, ,,-;*%¤###
#@#¤%*;-,, 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. ,,-;*%¤#@#
@#%;,,,,,, ,,,,,,;%#@
#%*;--,,,, ,,,,--;*%#
@¤¤%;;,,,, ,,,,;;%¤¤@
#@#¤%*;-,, ,,-;*%¤#@#
###¤%*;-,, ,,-;*%¤###