,~«;$§@#@# #@#@§$;«~,
,,~«;$§@#@ @#@§$;«~,,
,,,~«;$§@# #@§$;«~,,,
,,~«;$§@#@ @#@§$;«~,,
,~«;$§@#@# #@#@§$;«~,
,,~«;$§@#@ GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY @#@§$;«~,,
,,,~«;$§@# GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. #@§$;«~,,,
,,~«;$§@#@ @#@§$;«~,,
,~«;$§@#@# BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, #@#@§$;«~,
,,~«;$§@#@ SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL @#@§$;«~,,
,,,~«;$§@# COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY #@§$;«~,,,
,,~«;$§@#@ REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS @#@§$;«~,,
,~«;$§@#@# HIGHER DOWN HERE, AND THE VIEW IS NOT #@#@§$;«~,
,,~«;$§@#@ AS MONOCHROME: A GREEN LIGHT BECKONS @#@§$;«~,,
,,,~«;$§@# FROM BELOW. #@§$;«~,,,
,,~«;$§@#@ @#@§$;«~,,
,~«;$§@#@# LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE. IN #@#@§$;«~,
,,~«;$§@#@ THE CENTER OF THE PLANETOID, SOMETHING @#@§$;«~,,
,,,~«;$§@# DORMANT, WAITING FOR A COLLISION WITH #@§$;«~,,,
,,~«;$§@#@ ANOTHER BODY. BUT NO PLANET WAS @#@§$;«~,,
,~«;$§@#@# REACHED, AND OVER TIME, THE SEEDLING #@#@§$;«~,
,,~«;$§@#@ BECAME A SLUDGE. @#@§$;«~,,
,,,~«;$§@# #@§$;«~,,,
,,~«;$§@#@ AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE @#@§$;«~,,
,~«;$§@#@# SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. #@#@§$;«~,
,,~«;$§@#@ @#@§$;«~,,
,,,~«;$§@# ######################################## #@§$;«~,,,
,,~«;$§@#@ # # @#@§$;«~,,
,~«;$§@#@# # #@#@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@#@# # #@#@§$;«~,
,,~«;$§@#@ # @ @ # @#@§$;«~,,
,,,~«;$§@# @ @ @##@$@$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$@$@##@ @ @ #@§$;«~,,,
,,~«;$§@#@ # @ @ @ @ # @#@§$;«~,,
,~«;$§@#@# # @ @ THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, @ @ # #@#@§$;«~,
,,~«;$§@#@ § @ # PREPARED FOR LAUNCH, # @ § @#@§$;«~,,
,,,~«;$§@# $ # # 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. @#@§$;«~,,
,,,~«;$§@# #@§$;«~,,,
,,~«;$§@#@ @#@§$;«~,,
,~«;$§@#@# #@#@§$;«~,
,,~«;$§@#@ @#@§$;«~,,
,,,~«;$§@# #@§$;«~,,,