,,,^=:=*£#                                          #£*=:=^,,,
,,^=:=*£##                                          ##£*=:=^,,
,^=:=*£###                                          ###£*=:=^,
,,^=:=*£##                                          ##£*=:=^,,
,,,^=:=*£#                                          #£*=:=^,,,
,,,,^=:=*£ 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.              =:=^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=:                                          :=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^=                                          =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=:                                          :=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^=:=                                          =:=^,,,,,,
,,,,,^=:=*                                          *=:=^,,,,,