,,,,,,,:~†                                          †~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~                                          ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,:                                          :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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.               %†~:,,,,,,
,,,,,:~†%§                                          §%†~:,,,,,
,,,,:~†%§@                                          @§%†~:,,,,
,,,:~†%§@#                                          #@§%†~:,,,
,,:~†%§@##                                          ##@§%†~:,,
,:~†%§@###                                          ###@§%†~:,