,^~:%$£#@#                                          #@#£$%:~^,
,,^~:%$£#@                                          @#£$%:~^,,
,,,^~:%$£#                                          #£$%:~^,,,
,,,,^~:%$£                                          £$%:~^,,,,
,,,,,^~:%$                                          $%:~^,,,,,
,,,,,,^~:% GRAY  SKIES, SWIRLING WITH  SOOT.  STONY %:~^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^~: GROUND  WITH  NO  HINTS  OF  VEGETATION. :~^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^~                                          ~^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ BELOW   THE   SURFACE  ARE  THE   MINES, ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^~ SPIRALING  DOWN  INTO THE  CRUST.  SMALL ~^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^~: COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS  THEY EVENTUALLY :~^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^~:% REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE  TEMPERATURE IS %:~^,,,,,,
,,,,,^~:%$ 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.               @#£$%:~^,,
,,,^~:%$£#                                          #£$%:~^,,,
,,,,^~:%$£                                          £$%:~^,,,,
,,,,,^~:%$                                          $%:~^,,,,,
,,,,,,^~:%                                          %:~^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^~:                                          :~^,,,,,,,