.~«†*%§###                                          ###§%*†«~.
..~«†*%§##                                          ##§%*†«~..
...~«†*%§#                                          #§%*†«~...
....~«†*%§                                          §%*†«~....
.....~«†*%                                          %*†«~.....
....~«†*%§ 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.               ##§%*†«~..
...~«†*%§#                                          #§%*†«~...
....~«†*%§                                          §%*†«~....
.....~«†*%                                          %*†«~.....
....~«†*%§                                          §%*†«~....
...~«†*%§#                                          #§%*†«~...