,,=†%%@¶##                                          ##¶@%%†=,,
,,=†%%@¶##                                          ##¶@%%†=,,
,,=†%%@¶##                                          ##¶@%%†=,,
,,,,,=†%@¶                                          ¶@%†=,,,,,
,,=†%%@¶##                                          ##¶@%%†=,,
,,=†%%@@@# 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.              ¶%%=,,,,,,
,,=†%%@¶##                                          ##¶@%%†=,,
,,,,=†%@@@                                          @@@%†=,,,,
,,=†%%%@@¶                                          ¶@@%%%†=,,
,,=†%%@¶¶¶                                          ¶¶¶@%%†=,,
,,,,,,=%@¶                                          ¶@%=,,,,,,