,,,,-«:$§@                                          @§$:«-,,,,
,,,,,-«:$§                                          §$:«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«:$                                          $:«-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«:                                          :«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-«                                          «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- GRAY  SKIES, SWIRLING WITH  SOOT.  STONY -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, GROUND  WITH  NO  HINTS  OF  VEGETATION. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,-                                          -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« BELOW   THE  SURFACE   ARE  THE   MINES, «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«: SPIRALING  DOWN  INTO THE  CRUST.  SMALL :«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«:$ 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.               £@§$:«-,,,
,,-«:$§@£@                                          @£@§$:«-,,
,-«:$§@£@#                                          #@£@§$:«-,
,,-«:$§@£@                                          @£@§$:«-,,
,,,-«:$§@£                                          £@§$:«-,,,
,,,,-«:$§@                                          @§$:«-,,,,