,,,,~;%$&@                                          @&$%;~,,,,
,,,~;%$&@#                                          #@&$%;~,,,
,,~;%$&@##                                          ##@&$%;~,,
,,,~;%$&@#                                          #@&$%;~,,,
,,,,~;%$&@                                          @&$%;~,,,,
,,,,,~;%$& GRAY  SKIES, SWIRLING  WITH SOOT.  STONY &$%;~,,,,,
,,,,,,~;%$ 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.              ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,