,~-;$&##@# #@##&$;-~,
,~-;$$&### ###&$$;-~,
,~-;$&##@# #@##&$;-~,
,,,~-;$##@ @##$;-~,,,
,~--;;;;&# #&;;;;--~,
,~-;$&#@## GRAY SKIES, SWIRLING WITH SOOT. STONY ##@#&$;-~,
,~-;$&##@@ GROUND WITH NO HINTS OF VEGETATION. @@##&$;-~,
,,,,~~;;&# #&;;~~,,,,
,~-;$&##@# BELOW THE SURFACE ARE THE MINES, #@##&$;-~,
,~-;$&##@# SPIRALING DOWN INTO THE CRUST. SMALL #@##&$;-~,
,~-;$&#@## COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY EVENTUALLY ##@#&$;-~,
,~-;$&#### REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE TEMPERATURE IS ####&$;-~,
,~-;;;&&#@ 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. #&;-,,,,,,
,,,,-;$&#@ @#&$;-,,,,
,~-;$&#@## AND ELVES CAME AS MINERS, AND THE ##@#&$;-~,
,~-;$&##@# SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED. #@##&$;-~,
,,,,,,--$# #$--,,,,,,
,~-;$&##@# ######################################## #@##&$;-~,
,,,,,,,-$# # # #$-,,,,,,,
,~-;$&##@@ # #@#@@@#@####################@#@@@#@# # @@##&$;-~,
,~-;$&#@## # @ @ # ##@#&$;-~,
,~-;$&##@# @ @ @###$#$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$#$###@ @ @ #@##&$;-~,
,~-;$&##@@ # @ @ @ @ # @@##&$;-~,
,~-;$&##@# # @ @ THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED, @ @ # #@##&$;-~,
,,,,,-$&&# & @ # PREPARED FOR LAUNCH, # @ & #&&$-,,,,,
,~-;$&##@# $ # # IGNITION SEQUENCE STARTED # # $ #@##&$;-~,
,,,,,~;&#@ ; # # HOURS AGO. ELVES IN THE # # ; @#&;~,,,,,
,~-;$&##@# ; $ # PASSENGER CABIN, NOT YET # $ ; #@##&$;-~,
,~-;$&##@# - ; # SEATED. BUT SOMETHING IS # ; - #@##&$;-~,
,~-;$&##@@ - - & WRONG. THERE IS SOMETHING & - - @@##&$;-~,
,,,,-;&##@ ~ ~ $ GREEN AROUND THEIR MOUTHS. $ ~ ~ @##&;-,,,,
,~-;$&#@## ~ ~ ; THE SLUDGE HAS BEEN SAMPLED, ; ~ ~ ##@#&$;-~,
,~-;$&##@# ~ ~ - ENTERTAINED, AND THEN - ~ ~ #@##&$;-~,
,~-;$&&##@ ~ ~ ~ FINALLY BINGED ON. ~ ~ ~ @##&&$;-~,
,~-;$$$&#@ , , , , , , @#&$$$;-~,
,,,,,-$##@ , , , THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, , , , @##$-,,,,,
,,,~~;&### AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES ###&;~~,,,
,~-;$&#### AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE ####&$;-~,
,~-;$&###@ STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND @###&$;-~,
,~-;$&###@ ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL, @###&$;-~,
,~-;$&#### LIKE CORPSES. ####&$;-~,
,,,,-;$&&# #&&$;-,,,,
,,,,,-$### ###$-,,,,,
,~---;$&## ##&$;---~,
,,,,,~-;$# #$;-~,,,,,
,,,~-$$&&# #&&$$-~,,,