&*::,,,,,, ,,,,,,::*&
#&&***:»:, ,:»:***&&#
##@&**:»:, ,:»:**&@##
###@&*:»:, ,:»:*&@###
##@&**:»:, ,:»:**&@##
@@@&**:»:, 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. ,:»:*&@###
@&*:»»»,,, ,,,»»»:*&@
##@&**:»:, ,:»:**&@##
##@&**:»:, ,:»:**&@##
###&**:»:, ,:»:**&###
&&*::::,,, ,,,::::*&&