,,,,,,~§&#                                          #&§~,,,,,,
,,,,,^**&£                                          £&**^,,,,,
,,^^^~**§&                                          &§**~^^^,,
,^~*§*&£##                                          ##£&*§*~^,
,^~*§*&£##                                          ##£&*§*~^,
,,,,,,^~§& 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.              ##£&*§*~^,
,^~*§*&£##                                          ##£&*§*~^,
,^~*§*&£##                                          ##£&*§*~^,
,^~*§*&£££                                          £££&*§*~^,
,,^^***&&&                                          &&&***^^,,
,^~*§*&£##                                          ##£&*§*~^,