,,,,=^^^^& &^^^^=,,,,
,~=^^%&#@# #@#&%^^=~,
,~=^^%&#@# #@#&%^^=~,
,~=^^%%%## ##%%%^^=~,
,~=^^^^&&@ @&&^^^^=~,
,~=^^%&#@# 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. #@#&%^^=~,
,,,,~~=^%& &%^=~~,,,,
,,,,,~=^%# #%^=~,,,,,
,~=^^%&#@# #@#&%^^=~,
,~=^^%&#@# #@#&%^^=~,
,~=^^%&#@@ @@#&%^^=~,