@=†=.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.=†=@
=†=.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=†=
†=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=†
=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.              ¨¨.=†=@###
####@=†=.¨                                          ¨.=†=@####
###@=†=.¨¨                                          ¨¨.=†=@###
##@=†=.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.=†=@##
#@=†=.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.=†=@#
@=†=.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.=†=@