@@@§¤%:--. .--:%¤§@@@
§%:-...... ......-:%§
§§¤%%-.... ....-%%¤§§
###@§%:--. .--:%§@###
##@§¤%:--. .--:%¤§@##
@¤%-...... 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. .--::%%¤¤@
#§§¤¤%:--. .--:%¤¤§§#
§¤%%::-... ...-::%%¤§
@¤¤¤%-.... ....-%¤¤¤@
@@@§¤%:--. .--:%¤§@@@
@§¤::--... ...--::¤§@