,,,,,~=†=%                                          %=†=~,,,,,
,,,,~=†=%¤                                          ¤%=†=~,,,,
,,,~=†=%¤@                                          @¤%=†=~,,,
,,~=†=%¤@#                                          #@¤%=†=~,,
,~=†=%¤@##                                          ##@¤%=†=~,
,,~=†=%¤@# 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.              =†=~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~=†                                          †=~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~=                                          =~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~                                          ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,