,,=:*¤@@## ##@@¤*:=,,
,,,,,=::¤@ @¤::=,,,,,
,,=:*¤@@@@ @@@@¤*:=,,
,,=:*¤@@## ##@@¤*:=,,
,,=:*¤@@## ##@@¤*:=,,
,,,,,,=*¤@ 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. ##@@¤*:=,,
,,=:*¤@@## ##@@¤*:=,,
,,,,,,,:*@ @*:,,,,,,,
,,,,,:¤@@# #@@¤:,,,,,
,,=:*¤@@## ##@@¤*:=,,
,,=:*¤@@## ##@@¤*:=,,