@@@,,,@,@,                                          @@,,@@,,@,
,@@,,@@,@,                                          ,@,@,@,@@,
@,@,@,@,@,                                          ,@,@,@,,@,
@,@,@,@,@,                                          ,@,@,@,@@,
@,@,@,@,@,                                          ,@,@,@,,@,
@,@,@,@,@, 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.               ,@,@,@,@@,
@,@,@,@,@,                                          ,@,@,@,,@,
@,@,@,@,@,                                          ,@,@,@,@@,
@,@,@,@,@,                                          ,@,@,@,,@,
@,@,@,@,@,                                          ,@,@,@,@@,
@,@,@,@,@,                                          ,@,@,@,,@,