,,,,,^»=^$ $^=»^,,,,,
,,,,^»=^$@ @$^=»^,,,,
,,,^»=^$@# #@$^=»^,,,
,,^»=^$@#@ @#@$^=»^,,
,^»=^$@#@# #@#@$^=»^,
,,^»=^$@#@ 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. @$^=»^,,,,
,,,^»=^$@# #@$^=»^,,,
,,^»=^$@#@ @#@$^=»^,,
,^»=^$@#@# #@#@$^=»^,
,,^»=^$@#@ @#@$^=»^,,
,,,^»=^$@# #@$^=»^,,,