#@£^^^.... ....^^^£@#
##@@£*^-^. .^-^*£@@##
@£*^^..... .....^^*£@
##@@£*^-^. .^-^*£@@##
###@@£*-^. .^-*£@@###
@£££*^^-^. 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. .^-^*£@@##
@@*^--.... ....--^*@@
@@@££*^-^. .^-^*££@@@
##@@£*^-^. .^-^*£@@##
@@@@£*^-^. .^-^*£@@@@
#@@@£*^-^. .^-^*£@@@#