..,~/$§@@#                                          #@@§$/~,..
...,~/$§@@                                          @@§$/~,...
....,~/$§@                                          @§$/~,....
.....,~/$§                                          §$/~,.....
......,~/$                                          $/~,......
.......,~/ GRAY  SKIES, SWIRLING WITH  SOOT.  STONY /~,.......
........,~ GROUND  WITH  NO  HINTS  OF  VEGETATION. ~,........
.......,~/                                          /~,.......
......,~/$ 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           $/~,......
.......,~/        STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND       /~,.......
........,~        ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL,       ~,........
.......,~/              LIKE CORPSES.               /~,.......
......,~/$                                          $/~,......
.....,~/$§                                          §$/~,.....
....,~/$§@                                          @§$/~,....
...,~/$§@@                                          @@§$/~,...
..,~/$§@@#                                          #@@§$/~,..