\-,....... .......,-\
$\-,...... ......,-\$
@$\-,..... .....,-\$@
@@$\-,.... ....,-\$@@
#@@$\-,... ...,-\$@@#
@#@@$\-,.. GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ..,-\$@@#@
#@#@@$\-,. 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, .,-\$@@#@#
@#@@$\-,.. LIKE CORPSES. ..,-\$@@#@
#@@$\-,... ...,-\$@@#
@@$\-,.... ....,-\$@@
@$\-,..... .....,-\$@
$\-,...... ......,-\$
\-,....... .......,-\