.^~/$£#@##                                          ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@##                                          ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@##                                          ##@#£$/~^.
.....^~/$#                                          #$/~^.....
....^^/$£@                                          @£$/^^....
...^~$££@# GRAY  SKIES,  SWIRLING  WITH SOOT. STONY #@££$~^...
.^~/$£#@## GROUND  WITH  NO  HINTS  OF  VEGETATION. ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@##                                          ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@## BELOW   THE   SURFACE  ARE  THE   MINES, ##@#£$/~^.
.^~~~~/$#@ SPIRALING  DOWN INTO  THE  CRUST.  SMALL @#$/~~~~^.
...~~$$#@# COMPARED TO THE CAVERNS THEY  EVENTUALLY #@#$$~~...
.^~/$£#@## REACH AND JOIN WITH. THE  TEMPERATURE IS ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@## HIGHER  DOWN HERE,  AND THE VIEW IS  NOT ##@#£$/~^.
...^^/$$#@ AS  MONOCHROME: A  GREEN  LIGHT  BECKONS @#$$/^^...
^~/$£#@###               FROM BELOW.                ###@#£$/~^
.^~/$£#@##                                          ##@#£$/~^.
......^/$# LONG AGO, THERE WAS A LIFEFORM HERE.  IN #$/^......
.^~/$£#@@@ THE CENTER  OF THE  PLANETOID, SOMETHING @@@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@## DORMANT,  WAITING FOR  A  COLLISION WITH ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@## ANOTHER  BODY.   BUT   NO   PLANET   WAS ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£@### REACHED,  AND OVER  TIME,  THE  SEEDLING ###@£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@##             BECAME A SLUDGE.             ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@##                                          ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@## AND  ELVES  CAME  AS  MINERS,   AND  THE ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$$££##            SLUDGE WAS BOTTLED.           ##££$$/~^.
.~/$£#@###                                          ###@#£$/~.
.^~/$£#@## ######################################## ##@#£$/~^.
.....~/£## #                                      # ##£/~.....
......~/$# # #################################### # #$/~......
.^~/$£#### # #                                  # # ####£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@## # # #@@#$#$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$#$#@@# # # ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@@# @ # #                              # # @ #@@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@## @ # #   THE CARGO SHIP IS FILLED,  # # @ ##@#£$/~^.
....^~~$## £ # @      PREPARED FOR LAUNCH,    @ # £ ##$~~^....
.^~/$#@### $ @ @   IGNITION SEQUENCE STARTED  @ @ $ ###@#$/~^.
.^~/$£#@@# / # @    HOURS AGO. ELVES IN THE   @ # / #@@#£$/~^.
.^~///$$£@ / $ #   PASSENGER CABIN, NOT YET   # $ / @£$$///~^.
.^~/$£#@## ~ / #   SEATED. BUT SOMETHING IS   # / ~ ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@## ~ ~ £   WRONG. THERE IS SOMETHING  £ ~ ~ ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@## ^ ^ $   GREEN AROUND THEIR MOUTHS. $ ^ ^ ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@## ^ ^ / THE SLUDGE HAS BEEN SAMPLED, / ^ ^ ##@#£$/~^.
....^~/$## ^ ^ ~     ENTERTAINED, AND THEN    ~ ^ ^ ##$/~^....
.^~/$£#@## ^ ^ ^      FINALLY BINGED ON.      ^ ^ ^ ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@## . . .                              . . . ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@## . . . THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, . . . ##@#£$/~^.
...^^/££#@         AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES         @#££/^^...
.......~$#           AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE           #$~.......
.^~/$£#@##        STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND       ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$£#@##       ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL,        ##@#£$/~^.
.....^~$£@               LIKE CORPSES.              @£$~^.....
...^//£###                                          ###£//^...
.^~/$£#@##                                          ##@#£$/~^.
.^~/$#@###                                          ###@#$/~^.
.^~/$£@###                                          ###@£$/~^.
.^^~~~$$##                                          ##$$~~~^^.