,,,,,~^*$&                                          &$*^~,,,,,
,,,,~^*$&#                                          #&$*^~,,,,
,,,~^*$&##                                          ##&$*^~,,,
,,~^*$&###                                          ###&$*^~,,
,,,~^*$&##                                          ##&$*^~,,,
,,,,~^*$&# GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING  WITH  SOOT.  STONY #&$*^~,,,,
,,,,,~^*$& GROUND  WITH  NO  HINTS  OF  VEGETATION. &$*^~,,,,,
,,,,,,~^*$                                          $*^~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~^* BELOW  THE   SURFACE  ARE   THE   MINES, *^~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~^ SPIRALING  DOWN  INTO  THE CRUST.  SMALL ^~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS  THEY EVENTUALLY ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE  IS ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, HIGHER  DOWN  HERE, AND THE  VIEW IS NOT ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, AS MONOCHROME:  A  GREEN  LIGHT  BECKONS ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                FROM BELOW.               ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM  HERE. IN ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, THE CENTER OF  THE  PLANETOID, SOMETHING ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, DORMANT,  WAITING FOR  A COLLISION  WITH ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ANOTHER  BODY.   BUT   NO   PLANET   WAS ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, REACHED,  AND OVER  TIME,  THE  SEEDLING ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,             BECAME A SLUDGE.             ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~                                          ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~^ AND  ELVES  CAME  AS   MINERS,  AND  THE ^~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~^*            SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED.           *^~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~^*$                                          $*^~,,,,,,
,,,,,~^*$& ######################################## &$*^~,,,,,
,,,,~^*$&# #                                      # #&$*^~,,,,
,,,~^*$&## # ######&#&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&#&###### # ##&$*^~,,,
,,~^*$&### # #                                  # # ###&$*^~,,
,,,~^*$&## # # ###&*&********************&*&### # # ##&$*^~,,,
,,,,~^*$&# # # #                              # # # #&$*^~,,,,
,,,,,~^*$& # # #   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.              ^~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~^*                                          *^~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~^*$                                          $*^~,,,,,,
,,,,,~^*$&                                          &$*^~,,,,,
,,,,~^*$&#                                          #&$*^~,,,,
,,,~^*$&##                                          ##&$*^~,,,