%\~-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-~\%
¤%\~-,,,,, ,,,,,-~\%¤
&¤%\~-,,,, ,,,,-~\%¤&
#&¤%\~-,,, ,,,-~\%¤&#
##&¤%\~-,, ,,-~\%¤&##
###&¤%\~-, 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. ,,,,,-~\%¤
&¤%\~-,,,, ,,,,-~\%¤&
#&¤%\~-,,, ,,,-~\%¤&#
##&¤%\~-,, ,,-~\%¤&##
###&¤%\~-, ,-~\%¤&###
##&¤%\~-,, ,,-~\%¤&##