,,,~~^§£#@ @#£§^~~,,,
,,~~^§£#@@ @@#£§^~~,,
,~~^§£#@@# #@@#£§^~~,
,,~~^§£#@@ @@#£§^~~,,
,,,~~^§£#@ @#£§^~~,,,
,,,,~~^§£# 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. @@#£§^~~,,
,~~^§£#@@# #@@#£§^~~,
,,~~^§£#@@ @@#£§^~~,,
,,,~~^§£#@ @#£§^~~,,,
,,,,~~^§£# #£§^~~,,,,
,,,,,~~^§£ £§^~~,,,,,