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