,,,,~«**$¶                                          ¶$**«~,,,,
,~«=*$###¶                                          ¶###$*=«~,
,,,,,,««*#                                          #*««,,,,,,
,,,,«=$$##                                          ##$$=«,,,,
,~«=***###                                          ###***=«~,
,~«=*$#¶## GRAY  SKIES, SWIRLING  WITH  SOOT. STONY ##¶#$*=«~,
,~«=*$#¶¶# GROUND  WITH  NO  HINTS  OF  VEGETATION. #¶¶#$*=«~,
,~«=*$#¶##                                          ##¶#$*=«~,
,~«=*$#### BELOW   THE  SURFACE  ARE   THE   MINES, ####$*=«~,
,~«=*$¶### SPIRALING  DOWN INTO  THE  CRUST.  SMALL ###¶$*=«~,
,~«=*$#¶## COMPARED  TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ##¶#$*=«~,
,,,,«**$#¶ REACH AND  JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ¶#$**«,,,,
,~«=**$$## HIGHER DOWN HERE,  AND THE  VIEW  IS NOT ##$$**=«~,
,~««««=$$¶ AS  MONOCHROME: A  GREEN  LIGHT  BECKONS ¶$$=««««~,
,,,,~=*#¶¶                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       ##¶#$*=«~,
,~«===*$$¶       ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL,        ¶$$*===«~,
,~«=*$#¶##               LIKE CORPSES.              ##¶#$*=«~,
,~~««==*$¶                                          ¶$*==««~~,
,~«=*$####                                          ####$*=«~,
,,,~==$###                                          ###$==~,,,
,~«=*$#¶##                                          ##¶#$*=«~,
,,,~«=**$¶                                          ¶$**=«~,,,