.......~=@ @=~.......
.~~^=$@@## ##@@$=^~~.
.~~^=$@### ###@$=^~~.
....~^=$$@ @$$=^~....
.~~^=$@@## ##@@$=^~~.
.~^=$@@### GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ###@@$=^~.
......~^$@ GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. @$^~......
.~~^^^^$@@ @@$^^^^~~.
.~~^=$@@## BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, ##@@$=^~~.
...~~~=@@# 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 @@==^~~...
...~~^$@@# ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, #@@$^~~...
.~~~~~=$@# LIKE CORPSES. #@$=~~~~~.
.~~^^=$$@@ @@$$=^^~~.
.~~^=$@@## ##@@$=^~~.
.~~^=$@@## ##@@$=^~~.
.~~^==$$$@ @$$$==^~~.
.~~^=$@@## ##@@$=^~~.