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