¨###¨#¨##¨                                          #¨#¨¨¨##¨#
#¨¨####¨#¨                                          ###¨¨#¨###
#¨#¨¨¨####                                          ¨¨#¨###¨¨¨
###¨¨#¨¨¨#                                          ¨###¨¨#¨¨#
¨¨#¨##¨¨#¨                                          #¨¨#¨##¨#¨
¨###¨#¨##¨ 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.              ¨##¨¨¨#¨¨¨
#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨##                                          #¨#¨¨##¨¨#
#¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨#                                          ###¨#¨#¨#¨
#¨¨¨¨¨####                                          ¨¨########
#¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨#                                          ¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
#¨¨¨##¨¨##                                          ##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#