,,,,,,~=@@ @@=~,,,,,,
,,~/=@#@## ##@#@=/~,,
,,~/=¤@#@# #@#@¤=/~,,
,,~/=¤@@## ##@@¤=/~,,
,,~/=¤@### ###@¤=/~,,
,,,,,,~=@@ 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. #@#@¤=/~,,
,,~/=¤@#@@ @@#@¤=/~,,
,,~/=¤@#@# #@#@¤=/~,,
,,~/=@#@## ##@#@=/~,,
,,~/=¤@### ###@¤=/~,,
,,~/=¤@@#@ @#@@¤=/~,,