.......^«*                                          *«^.......
........^«                                          «^........
.........^                                          ^.........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... 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  $ « « $^*«^.....
......^«*^ ^ ^ ^   GREEN AROUND THEIR MOUTHS. ^ ^ ^ ^*«^......
.......^«* ^ ^ * THE SLUDGE HAS BEEN SAMPLED, * ^ ^ *«^.......
........^« ^ ^ «     ENTERTAINED, AND THEN    « ^ ^ «^........
.........^ ^ ^ ^      FINALLY BINGED ON.      ^ ^ ^ ^.........
.......... . . .                              . . . ..........
.......... . . . THE ENGINES ARE BURNING HOT, . . . ..........
..........         AND THE SHIP ACCELERATES         ..........
.........^           AWAY. THE ELVES HAVE           ^.........
........^«       STRAPPED THEMSELVES IN, AND        «^........
.......^«*        ARE LYING COMPLETELY STILL,       *«^.......
......^«*^              LIKE CORPSES.               ^*«^......
.....^«*^$                                          $^*«^.....
....^«*^$£                                          £$^*«^....
...^«*^$£@                                          @£$^*«^...
..^«*^$£@#                                          #@£$^*«^..
.^«*^$£@##                                          ##@£$^*«^.