##¶@*=†~,. .,~†=*@¶##
#¶**=~.... ....~=**¶#
##¶@*=†~,. .,~†=*@¶##
@@=~,..... .....,~=@@
@****=†~,. .,~†=****@
@@*†,..... 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. .,~†=*@###
#@@@*=†~,. .,~†=*@@@#
##¶@*=†~,. .,~†=*@¶##
¶¶@=~~,... ...,~~=@¶¶
##¶@*=†~,. .,~†=*@¶##
¶@@*†~,... ...,~†*@@¶