@¤*»...... ......»*¤@
#@@¤%*;».. ..»;*%¤@@#
@@@¤%*;».. ..»;*%¤@@@
@¤¤*»»»».. ..»»»»*¤¤@
@¤*;»».... ....»»;*¤@
@@¤%%*;».. 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. ..»;*%¤@##
##@@¤*;».. ..»;*¤@@##
@%*»...... ......»*%@
@%;;;..... .....;;;%@
@¤%%%*;».. ..»;*%%%¤@
#@@¤%*;».. ..»;*%¤@@#