*^~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~^*
^~,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,~^
~,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,~
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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.               ,,~^*%£###
##£%*^~,,,                                          ,,,~^*%£##
#£%*^~,,,,                                          ,,,,~^*%£#
£%*^~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~^*%£
%*^~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~^*%
*^~,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,~^*