...,«:%&##                                          ##&%:«,...
..,«:%&###                                          ###&%:«,..
.,«:%&####                                          ####&%:«,.
..,«:%&###                                          ###&%:«,..
...,«:%&##                                          ##&%:«,...
....,«:%&# 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.               ###&%:«,..
.,«:%&####                                          ####&%:«,.
..,«:%&###                                          ###&%:«,..
...,«:%&##                                          ##&%:«,...
....,«:%&#                                          #&%:«,....
...,«:%&##                                          ##&%:«,...