&**-...... ......-**&
@¤*-...... ......-*¤@
&*†††,,... ...,,†††*&
###@&¤*†-, ,-†*¤&@###
&*†,,..... .....,,†*&
##@&¤*†-,. 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. .....,††*&
##@&¤*†-,. .,-†*¤&@##
##@&¤*†-,. .,-†*¤&@##
&*****†-,. .,-†*****&
@@&***†-,. .,-†***&@@
&&&*-,.... ....,-*&&&