,,-:===§@@ @@§===:-,,
,,-:=%§@@# #@@§%=:-,,
,,-:=%§@@# #@@§%=:-,,
,,-:=%§@@# #@@§%=:-,,
,,,,,,-=§§ §§=-,,,,,,
,,,,-==%§@ 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. @@@§%=:-,,
,,,,,-::=§ §=::-,,,,,
,,,,,:==§@ @§==:,,,,,
,,-:=%§§§§ §§§§%=:-,,
,,-:%§@@## ##@@§%:-,,
,,-:=%§@@# #@@§%=:-,,