#¨¨#¨#¨¨¨#                                          #####¨¨#¨#
¨#¨####¨¨#                                          #¨¨¨¨#¨###
####¨¨¨#¨#                                          ¨#¨¨¨###¨¨
#¨¨¨#¨¨###                                          ¨##¨¨#¨¨#¨
##¨¨##¨#¨¨                                          ##¨#¨##¨##
¨¨#¨#¨###¨ 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.              ¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨¨
¨¨####¨#¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨#¨#¨¨¨
¨¨#¨¨¨###¨                                          ¨¨¨¨####¨¨
¨¨##¨¨#¨¨#                                          ¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨
¨¨#¨#¨##¨#                                          #¨¨¨##¨¨##
#¨#####¨##                                          ##¨¨#¨#¨#¨