##****†»^. .^»†****##
#@@#$*†»^. .^»†*$#@@#
@###$*†»^. .^»†*$###@
#@@#$*†»^. .^»†*$#@@#
#@@#$*†»^. .^»†*$#@@#
##@@$*†»^. GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY .^»†*$@@##
#***†»^^.. 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. .^†*$#@@##
@@#$†»^... ...^»†$#@@
#*†»»..... .....»»†*#
@$$*†^.... ....^†*$$@
##*†»».... ....»»†*##
#@@#$*†»^. .^»†*$#@@#