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