,-~\=$§@## ##@§$=\~-,
,,,,,,~\$@ @$\~,,,,,,
,,,,,--\$@ @$\--,,,,,
,-~\=$§@@# #@@§$=\~-,
,-~\=$§@## ##@§$=\~-,
,-~\=$$§§# GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY #§§$$=\~-,
,-~\\\=§@# 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 @@§$\~-,,,
,,,,,-\$§@ ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, @§$\-,,,,,
,-~\=$§### LIKE CORPSES. ###§$=\~-,
,-~\=$§### ###§$=\~-,
,-~\=$§@@# #@@§$=\~-,
,-~\=$§@## ##@§$=\~-,
,,,,-\\$$@ @$$\\-,,,,
,-~\=$§@## ##@§$=\~-,