,,:~:$£¤@#                                          #@¤£$:~:,,
,:~:$£¤@##                                          ##@¤£$:~:,
,,:~:$£¤@#                                          #@¤£$:~:,,
,,,:~:$£¤@                                          @¤£$:~:,,,
,,,,:~:$£¤                                          ¤£$:~:,,,,
,,,,,:~:$£ GRAY SKIES,  SWIRLING  WITH  SOOT. STONY £$:~:,,,,,
,,,,,,:~:$ 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,       $:~:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~:               LIKE CORPSES.              :~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~                                          ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~:                                          :~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~:$                                          $:~:,,,,,,
,,,,,:~:$£                                          £$:~:,,,,,
,,,,:~:$£¤                                          ¤£$:~:,,,,