...#...###                                          ..#..#..#.
....#..#.#                                          ...#..#..#
#....#...#                                          ....#..#..
.#....#..#                                          .....#..#.
..#....#..                                          ......#..#
#..#....#. 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.              #....#...#
.##...###.                                          .#....#..#
.###..#.##                                          ..#....#..
.#.##...##                                          ...#....#.
...###..#.                                          ....#....#
#..#.##...                                          #....#....