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