¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-                                          -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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, = - - $^=--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--=^ - - -     ENTERTAINED, AND THEN    - - - ^=--¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--= - - -      FINALLY BINGED ON.      - - - =--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-- ¨ ¨ ¨                              ¨ ¨ ¨ --¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- ¨ ¨ ¨ THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, ¨ ¨ ¨ -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨         AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨           AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE           ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨        STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND       ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨       ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL,        ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨              LIKE CORPSES.               ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-                                          -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--                                          --¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--=                                          =--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨--=^                                          ^=--¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨--=^$                                          $^=--¨¨¨¨¨