......:=*$                                          $*=:......
.....:=*$¤                                          ¤$*=:.....
....:=*$¤¤                                          ¤¤$*=:....
...:=*$¤¤#                                          #¤¤$*=:...
..:=*$¤¤#@                                          @#¤¤$*=:..
.:=*$¤¤#@# 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.               ¤$*=:.....
....:=*$¤¤                                          ¤¤$*=:....
...:=*$¤¤#                                          #¤¤$*=:...
..:=*$¤¤#@                                          @#¤¤$*=:..
.:=*$¤¤#@#                                          #@#¤¤$*=:.
..:=*$¤¤#@                                          @#¤¤$*=:..