,-~†*¤#@@# #@@#¤*†~-,
,-~†*¤#@## ##@#¤*†~-,
,-~†*¤#@@# #@@#¤*†~-,
,-~†*¤#@@@ @@@#¤*†~-,
,,,,-~†¤@@ @@¤†~-,,,,
,,,-~†*¤@@ 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. @@¤¤¤*†~-,
,,--~~~*¤@ @¤*~~~--,,
,,,,,~**¤# #¤**~,,,,,
,-~†*¤#@@@ @@@#¤*†~-,
,-~†*¤#@@# #@@#¤*†~-,
,,,,~***¤@ @¤***~,,,,