,,,,,,,,.~                                          ~.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.~:                                          :~.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,.~:^                                          ^:~.,,,,,,
,,,,,.~:^£                                          £^:~.,,,,,
,,,,.~:^£#                                          #£^:~.,,,,
,,,.~:^£## 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.               ##£^:~.,,,
,,,,.~:^£#                                          #£^:~.,,,,
,,,,,.~:^£                                          £^:~.,,,,,
,,,,,,.~:^                                          ^:~.,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.~:                                          :~.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.~                                          ~.,,,,,,,,