.......«*§                                          §*«.......
...,,«:¤¤@                                          @¤¤:«,,...
...,«:¤§§@                                          @§§¤:«,...
.,«:*¤§@@@                                          @@@§¤*:«,.
.,«:*¤§@##                                          ##@§¤*:«,.
.,«:*¤§@## 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.              §¤:««««...
.,«:*¤§@##                                          ##@§¤*:«,.
.,«:*¤§@##                                          ##@§¤*:«,.
.,«:***§@@                                          @@§***:«,.
.,«:*****§                                          §*****:«,.
...,:::**§                                          §**:::,...