..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... 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.              ........~«
~.........                                          .........~
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........