@#%^=-~... ...~-=^%#@
#@#%^=-~.. ..~-=^%#@#
##@#%^=-~. .~-=^%#@##
#@#%^=-~.. ..~-=^%#@#
@#%^=-~... ...~-=^%#@
#%^=-~.... 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. ..~-=^%#@#
##@#%^=-~. .~-=^%#@##
#@#%^=-~.. ..~-=^%#@#
@#%^=-~... ...~-=^%#@
#%^=-~.... ....~-=^%#
@#%^=-~... ...~-=^%#@