..,~;^&¤@# #@¤&^;~,..
...,~;^&¤@ @¤&^;~,...
....,~;^&¤ ¤&^;~,....
.....,~;^& &^;~,.....
....,~;^&¤ ¤&^;~,....
...,~;^&¤@ 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. @¤&^;~,...
....,~;^&¤ ¤&^;~,....
.....,~;^& &^;~,.....
....,~;^&¤ ¤&^;~,....
...,~;^&¤@ @¤&^;~,...
..,~;^&¤@# #@¤&^;~,..