,,,,,,,.«;                                          ;«.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.«                                          «.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,.                                          .,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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.               †;«.,,,,,,
,,,,,.«;†%                                          %†;«.,,,,,
,,,,.«;†%&                                          &%†;«.,,,,
,,,.«;†%&£                                          £&%†;«.,,,
,,.«;†%&£#                                          #£&%†;«.,,
,.«;†%&£##                                          ##£&%†;«.,