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