,,,~~††%@@ @@%††~~,,,
,,~†%@@@@# #@@@@%†~,,
,,~†%@@@## ##@@@%†~,,
,,~†%@@@## ##@@@%†~,,
,,~†%@@@## ##@@@%†~,,
,,~†%@@### 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. @@@†~,,,,,
,,~†%@@@## ##@@@%†~,,
,,,~~†@@@@ @@@@†~~,,,
,,~†%@@@## ##@@@%†~,,
,,,,†††@@@ @@@†††,,,,
,,~†%@@@## ##@@@%†~,,