#@@@§$=~., ,.~=$§@@@#
@@@@§$=~., ,.~=$§@@@@
@§$==~.,,, ,,,.~==$§@
@@§=.,,,,, ,,,,,.=§@@
#@@@§$=~., ,.~=$§@@@#
##@@§$=~., GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ,.~=$§@@##
@§$~~~.,,, GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. ,,,.~~~$§@
@@§=~..,,, ,,,..~=§@@
##@@@$=~., BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ,.~=$@@@##
@§=~~..,,, 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 ,,,,.==§@@
#@@@§$=~., ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, ,.~=$§@@@#
@@@$==..,, LIKE CORPSES. ,,..==$@@@
@@@@§$=~., ,.~=$§@@@@
##@@§$=~., ,.~=$§@@##
@@§=.,,,,, ,,,,,.=§@@
@§$~.,,,,, ,,,,,.~$§@
@@@@§$=~., ,.~=$§@@@@