,:-;=%#### ####%=;-:,
,,::-;%### ###%;-::,,
,:---=%### ###%=---:,
,:-;=%#### ####%=;-:,
,:-;=%%### ###%%=;-:,
,,,,,,-;=# 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. #==;--:,,,
,:-;=%#### ####%=;-:,
,:-;=%#### ####%=;-:,
,,,,,,:;%# #%;:,,,,,,
,,,:--;=## ##=;--:,,,
,,,:--=### ###=--:,,,