,,,~~$$&##                                          ##&$$~~,,,
,,,,,,~$$&                                          &$$~,,,,,,
,,,,,,†&##                                          ##&†,,,,,,
,,,,,,†$&&                                          &&$†,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~$&                                          &$~,,,,,,,
,,,,~$$&&# GRAY SKIES,  SWIRLING  WITH SOOT.  STONY #&&$$~,,,,
,,~†$&&### GROUND  WITH  NO  HINTS  OF  VEGETATION. ###&&$†~,,
,,~†$&####                                          ####&$†~,,
,,~†$&&### BELOW   THE  SURFACE   ARE  THE   MINES, ###&&$†~,,
,,~~††$&&# SPIRALING DOWN  INTO  THE  CRUST.  SMALL #&&$††~~,,
,,~†$&&&&# COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS  THEY EVENTUALLY #&&&&$†~,,
,,~†$&&### REACH AND  JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ###&&$†~,,
,,,,,~†$&& HIGHER  DOWN  HERE, AND THE  VIEW IS NOT &&$†~,,,,,
,,~†$&&### AS  MONOCHROME: A  GREEN  LIGHT  BECKONS ###&&$†~,,
,,~†$&&###                FROM BELOW.               ###&&$†~,,
,,~†$&&###                                          ###&&$†~,,
,,,,,,††&& 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,        ###&&$†~,,
,,,,,,†&&&               LIKE CORPSES.              &&&†,,,,,,
,,~†$&&###                                          ###&&$†~,,
,,~~~$&&##                                          ##&&$~~~,,
,,~†$&&###                                          ###&&$†~,,
,,~†$&&###                                          ###&&$†~,,
,,,,~~~†&&                                          &&†~~~,,,,