###@&=\«., ,.«\=&@###
###@&=\«., ,.«\=&@###
@@&&\\\«., ,.«\\\&&@@
##&&=«.,,, ,,,.«=&&##
####&=\«., ,.«\=&####
##@&&=\«., 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. ,,,«\\=@##
###@&=\«., ,.«\=&@###
###@&=\«., ,.«\=&@###
@&&\\««,,, ,,,««\\&&@
###@&=\«., ,.«\=&@###
@&&\..,,,, ,,,,..\&&@