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