,,=:†@#@##                                          ##@#@†:=,,
,,=:†@#@##                                          ##@#@†:=,,
,,=:†@##@#                                          #@##@†:=,,
,,=:†@#@##                                          ##@#@†:=,,
,,,,,,=:@@                                          @@:=,,,,,,
,,=:†@#@## 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.               ##@#@†:=,,
,,,,:††@@#                                          #@@††:,,,,
,,=:†@#@##                                          ##@#@†:=,,
,,====:@@@                                          @@@:====,,
,,=:†@#@##                                          ##@#@†:=,,
,,:†@#@###                                          ###@#@†:,,