,,,,,«†=&¤                                          ¤&=†«,,,,,
,,,,«†=&¤£                                          £¤&=†«,,,,
,,,«†=&¤£@                                          @£¤&=†«,,,
,,«†=&¤£@#                                          #@£¤&=†«,,
,,,«†=&¤£@                                          @£¤&=†«,,,
,,,,«†=&¤£ 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.               &=†«,,,,,,
,,,,,«†=&¤                                          ¤&=†«,,,,,
,,,,«†=&¤£                                          £¤&=†«,,,,
,,,«†=&¤£@                                          @£¤&=†«,,,
,,«†=&¤£@#                                          #@£¤&=†«,,
,,,«†=&¤£@                                          @£¤&=†«,,,