,,~=^@§£@# #@£§@^=~,,
,,~=^@§@## ##@§@^=~,,
,,,,~~=@£@ @£@=~~,,,,
,,~=^@§£@@ @@£§@^=~,,
,,~==^^@§£ £§@^^==~,,
,,~=^@§£## 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. #@£§@^=~,,
,,~=^@§£££ £££§@^=~,,
,,~=^@§£@# #@£§@^=~,,
,,~=^@§£@# #@£§@^=~,,
,,,,,~=@§§ §§@=~,,,,,
,,~=^@§£@# #@£§@^=~,,