..«;†*&¶##                                          ##¶&*†;«..
...«;†*&¶#                                          #¶&*†;«...
....«;†*&¶                                          ¶&*†;«....
.....«;†*&                                          &*†;«.....
......«;†*                                          *†;«......
.......«;† 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.               «.........
........«;                                          ;«........
.......«;†                                          †;«.......
......«;†*                                          *†;«......
.....«;†*&                                          &*†;«.....
....«;†*&¶                                          ¶&*†;«....