@@$%*~,,,, ,,,,~*%$@@
##@#$%*~,, ,,~*%$#@##
##@#$%*~,, ,,~*%$#@##
@#$****~,, ,,~****$#@
##%~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~%##
####$%*~,, GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,,~*%$####
@$*~,,,,,, GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ,,,,,,~*$@
##@#$%*~,, ,,~*%$#@##
@###$%*~,, BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ,,~*%$###@
#%%%**,,,, 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 ,,,,,,,*$@
@$$*~,,,,, AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ,,,,,~*$$@
##@#$%*~,, STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND ,,~*%$#@##
##@#$%*~,, ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ,,~*%$#@##
##@#$%*~,, LIKE CORPSES. ,,~*%$#@##
##@#$%*~,, ,,~*%$#@##
##@#$%*~,, ,,~*%$#@##
##@#$%*~,, ,,~*%$#@##
##@#$%*~,, ,,~*%$#@##
#%*~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~*%#