,,,,,,,,,.                                          .,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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, : . . $%:~.,,,,,
,,,,,,.~:% . . ~     ENTERTAINED, AND THEN    ~ . . %:~.,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.~: . . .      FINALLY BINGED ON.      . . . :~.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.~ , , ,                              , , , ~.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,. , , , THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, , , , .,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,         AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES         ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,           AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE           ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,       STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND        ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,       ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL,        ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,               LIKE CORPSES.              ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,.                                          .,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.~                                          ~.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.~:                                          :~.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,.~:%                                          %:~.,,,,,,
,,,,,.~:%$                                          $%:~.,,,,,