,,,,,,,,,^                                          ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^                                          ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^~                                          ~^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^~*                                          *~^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^~*% 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.               &*%*~^,,,,
,,,,,^~*%*                                          *%*~^,,,,,
,,,,,,^~*%                                          %*~^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^~*                                          *~^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^~                                          ~^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^                                          ^,,,,,,,,,