@^;~~..... .....~~;^@
¶@^;~~.... ....~~;^@¶
#¶@^;~~... ...~~;^@¶#
##¶@^;~~.. ..~~;^@¶##
###¶@^;~~. .~~;^@¶###
##¶@^;~~.. 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. ....~~;^@¶
#¶@^;~~... ...~~;^@¶#
##¶@^;~~.. ..~~;^@¶##
###¶@^;~~. .~~;^@¶###
##¶@^;~~.. ..~~;^@¶##
#¶@^;~~... ...~~;^@¶#