...~~†*$¤@ @¤$*†~~...
....~~†*$¤ ¤$*†~~....
.....~~†*$ $*†~~.....
......~~†* *†~~......
.......~~† †~~.......
........~~ GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ~~........
.........~ GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ~.........
.......... ..........
.........~ BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ~.........
........~~ SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL ~~........
.......~~† COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY †~~.......
......~~†* REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS *†~~......
.....~~†*$ 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. ¤$*†~~....
...~~†*$¤@ @¤$*†~~...
..~~†*$¤@# #@¤$*†~~..
.~~†*$¤@## ##@¤$*†~~.
..~~†*$¤@# #@¤$*†~~..
...~~†*$¤@ @¤$*†~~...