,,,,,,,^-=                                          =-^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^-                                          -^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^                                          ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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.               *=-^,,,,,,
,,,,,^-=*¤                                          ¤*=-^,,,,,
,,,,^-=*¤¤                                          ¤¤*=-^,,,,
,,,^-=*¤¤#                                          #¤¤*=-^,,,
,,^-=*¤¤#@                                          @#¤¤*=-^,,
,^-=*¤¤#@#                                          #@#¤¤*=-^,