,,,,~^§£@#                                          #@£§^~,,,,
,,,,,~^§£@                                          @£§^~,,,,,
,,,,,,~^§£                                          £§^~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~^§                                          §^~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~^                                          ^~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ 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.               @£§^~,,,,,
,,,,~^§£@#                                          #@£§^~,,,,
,,,~^§£@##                                          ##@£§^~,,,
,,~^§£@###                                          ###@£§^~,,
,,,~^§£@##                                          ##@£§^~,,,
,,,,~^§£@#                                          #@£§^~,,,,