,-«==$¤### ###¤$==«-,
,,-«==$¤## ##¤$==«-,,
,,,-«==$¤# #¤$==«-,,,
,,,,-«==$¤ ¤$==«-,,,,
,,,,,-«==$ $==«-,,,,,
,,,,-«==$¤ 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. ##¤$==«-,,
,,,-«==$¤# #¤$==«-,,,
,,,,-«==$¤ ¤$==«-,,,,
,,,,,-«==$ $==«-,,,,,
,,,,-«==$¤ ¤$==«-,,,,
,,,-«==$¤# #¤$==«-,,,