@¤^»~~~~.. ..~~~~»^¤@
@@;»»»~... ...~»»»;@@
##@¤@^;»~. .~»;^@¤@##
#¤¤@^;»... ...»;^@¤¤#
¤¤@;»..... .....»;@¤¤
##@¤@^;»~. 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. .~»;^@¤@@@
##@¤@^;»~. .~»;^@¤@##
¤@@^;;~... ...~;;^@@¤
@¤^;»~.... ....~»;^¤@
#¤@@^».... ....»^@@¤#
##@¤@^;»~. .~»;^@¤@##