,~«†%£####                                          ####£%†«~,
,,~«†%£###                                          ###£%†«~,,
,,,~«†%£##                                          ##£%†«~,,,
,,,,~«†%£#                                          #£%†«~,,,,
,,,,,~«†%£                                          £%†«~,,,,,
,,,,,,~«†% 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.              ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~                                          ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~«                                          «~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~«†                                          †«~,,,,,,,