,-~/†@#@##                                          ##@#@†/~-,
,,-~/†@#@#                                          #@#@†/~-,,
,,,-~/†@#@                                          @#@†/~-,,,
,,,,-~/†@#                                          #@†/~-,,,,
,,,,,-~/†@                                          @†/~-,,,,,
,,,,,,-~/† 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.              ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,-                                          -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-~                                          ~-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-~/                                          /~-,,,,,,,